Police unveils new robbery tactics at ATMs

The Police on Friday advised members of the public using ATM at various banks to be security conscious as some criminals now disguised as customers queuing to withdraw money. This is contained in a statement on the Nigeria Police Force website exposing the antics of criminals. The statement noted that on July 30, at about 12.10 a.m., a male bank customer went to withdraw money from one of the ATMs at the Central Business District (CBD), Abuja. It stated that three young men who pretended to have come to withdraw money also were on queue with the plan to attack the man. “The victim raised an alarm which attracted nearby Police Patrol team to the scene. The hoodlums took to their heels upon sighting the advancing policemen. “One automatic pistol fell from one of the suspects and was recovered by the police and the victim was safely rescued. “However, another male victim was unlucky as hoodlums attacked him and snatched the N500,000 cash he withdrew from ATMs on July 28. “Police responded to his distress call and one of the suspects was arrested. Efforts is on to apprehend other gang members,’’ the statement said. (NAN)

We now have the capacity to defeat Boko Haram - Buhari

With the formation of a stronger regional coalition, Nigeria and its neighbouring countries now have an increased capacity to deal effectively with Boko Haram and other terrorist groups, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Friday. The President reaffirmed his belief that the full activation and deployment of the Multi National Joint Task Force which has been established under the auspices of the Lake Chad Basin Commission will lead to the speedy defeat and elimination of Boko Haram. He spoke during an audience with Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Buhari, according to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, added that with the Command and Control Centre of the Nigerian military now in Maiduguri, Borno State, the morale of troops in the front-line states had improved significantly. “You can tell the Secretary-General that we are doing our best and our best will be good enough for the nation and the sub-region,’’ the statement quoted President Buhari as saying to Dr. Ibn Chambas. Against the background of upcoming elections in Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea and Burkina Faso, the President also called on the UN to assist African countries in the acquisition and use of innovative technologies to ensure more credible elections. “When citizens recognize that their votes count, it will boost their confidence in democracy and their countries’ electoral systems,” he said The Nation

How PDP shared 12 billion naira in 9 months

Angry workers of the Peoples Democratic Party have accused the members of the National Working Committee of the party of squandering N12bn in nine months. Out of the total sum, the workers said N11bn was realised from the sale of nomination forms while N1bn was got from the sale of delegates forms. They alleged that the money was squandered shortly after the sale of the forms commenced on October 27, 2014 till date. The workers said this in their response to the letter sent to them by the party’s National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, on Wednesday. Oladipo, in the letter, had informed the workers about the decision of the NWC to reduce the party’s workforce by 50 per cent and to also cut the salaries of those to be retained by the same percentage. The national secretary of the party said the decision, among others, would take effect from August. He said, “Establishment staff who would remain are required to obtain individual letters of revalidation from their state chapters within one month of this circular to their suitability for service at the national secretariat.” But the workers, after a meeting in Abuja on Thursday, sent a reply to Oladipo. Their reply, which was directed to Oladipo, was dated July 30, 2015 and titled, “Re: Organisation and Restructuring of staff at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party.” They sent copies of the letter, which was exclusively obtained by our corespondent, to former President Goodluck Jonathan and the acting Chairman, Board of Trustees of the party, Alhaji Haliru Bello. Also, copies were sent to the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, PDP caucuses in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum, Dr. Segun Mimiko and all the PDP governors. Besides querying how the N11bn was spent, the workers also said they were aware that the party realised another N1bn in sales of delegates forms recently. With this, the angry workers wondered how the party that was in power could be in a financial mess. Their letter to Oladipo read in part, “While we appreciate the fact that the party is no longer in power, we are equally aware that the party realised over eleven billion naira (N11,000,000,000) in income from the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms in the last quarter of 2014. “We are equally aware that the NWC collected over a billion naira from the sale of delegate forms via a company account called Morufi Nig. Ltd, Zenith Bank Account N0:1014041654. “With this healthy bank balance, we find it strange that after just two months of handing over power, the NWC is proposing a 50% reduction in staff emoluments.” They said that they were aware that the NWC members were in the habit of paying themselves huge sums of money after the party lost power during the 2015 general elections. The letter read further, “We have also observed from publications in the media that the NWC shared outrageous largesse among themselves immediately after the party’s loss in the last general elections. “We are appalled by the whimsical and derisory nature of the circular which unfortunately negates all known administrative procedures. We wish to recall that the national secretary, who is statutorily in charge of the administration of the secretariat, has never called for a staff meeting or held any interactive session with the staff since his privileged appointment. “We wish to draw the national secretary’s attention to the fact that there are administrative procedures for the disengagement of staff whose appointments have been duly confirmed.” The workers said they welcomed the decision of the NWC members to reduce their personal staff and also reduce their emoluments. But they said they rejected “the directives for staff members to get revalidation letters from the state chapters as this act will amount to accepting our unlawful disengagement from service. “We reject in totality the proposal to reduce staff emolument by 50%. This is because unlike the members of the NWC, the staff are solely dependent on their salaries and allowances.” They said they still have unwavering belief in the possibility of the party bouncing back, and, therefore, urged the NWC to have the same faith. The workers reminded the NWC members that the establishment staff of the PDP national secretariat were engaged on the basis of a well-articulated establishment manual that expressly stated the conditions of service therein. However, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Olisa Metuh, told our correspondent that the party took the decisions because it realised that majority of the workers had lost touch with their state chapters of the party. Copyright PUNCH

Ambode gives fresh order to govt agencies

The Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has ordered government agencies occupying rented apartments to vacate such and relocate to their mother ministries. It was gathered that no fewer than 20 agencies were currently paying rents across the state. A government source said the rents were deemed too exorbitant, while some of the rented apartments allegedly belonged to friends and cronies of some people in the government. “The cost of running the apartments was inflated, which made this development inevitable,” the source said. Our correspondent gathered that among the affected agencies are the Motor Vehicle Administration Agencies, the Lagos Water Regulatory Commission, the Law Reform Commission, the Lagos State Safety Commission, Magodo, and the Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board, the Audit Service Commission, the Lagos State Valuation Office, the Lagos State Christian Pilgrims Board and the Lagos State Planning and Environmental Monitoring Office. The order to vacate the rented apartments was contained in a circular No. 072, dated July 24, 2015, and signed by the Head of Service, Mrs. Folasade Jaji. The circular, which was sighted by our correspondent on Tuesday, was directed to all heads of ministries and government agencies. The circular, which was titled, ‘Re-alignment of office accommodation of ministries, departments and agencies,’ read in part, “Sequel to the HOS circular Ref. NO: CIR/HOS/15/Vol.1/065, on creation, abolition and re-alignment of ministries, departments and agencies of government in Lagos State, it is hereby notified for general information that His Excellency, the Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has directed that all affected MDAs are to commence relocation to their new offices with immediate effect from July July 27 to August 3, 2015.” It was learnt that the agencies had been allocated offices in their parent ministries. In a related development, Ambode has approved the payment of the annual bursary awards for students in higher institutions of learning across the country. A statement by the Director, Lagos State Scholarship Board, Mrs. Omauton Jegede, explained that the funds were for the fifth and sixth payments of bursary to 2010 and 2011 bursary beneficiaries in universities across the country. Jegede added that the second payment for the 2013/2014 beneficiaries studying in polytechnics and colleges of education was ready and would be disbursed as from Wednesday. Copyright PUNCH

Since 2014 Oscar win, what has Lupita N'yongo been up to?

Lupita Nyong'o is headed from the big screen to a New York stage. The 32-year-old actress will star in Eclipsed, a play from Danai Gurira, 37, that will open this fall at the city's Public Theater. This will mark the New York City debut of both Lupita and the play, which was previously performed in 2009 in Washington, D.C. and New Haven, Connecticut. Stage actress: Lupita Nyong'o will make her New York City stage debut in Danai Gurira's play, Eclipsed +7Stage actress: Lupita Nyong'o will make her New York City stage debut in Danai Gurira's play, Eclipsed Eclipsed is set during the Second Liberian Civil War (between 1999 and 2003) and focuses on a group of women who are the wives - and prisoners - of a rebel officer. Their already chaotic world is disturbed even more when a new woman arrives. 'Danai Gurira has written a brilliant play, ripped from the headlines, that looks at the terrible conflicts in post-colonial Africa with an eye that is both incisive and deeply compassionate,' artistic director Oskar Eustis said in a statement Thursday. Serious subject: Danai's play focuses on women trapped in a marriage during the Liberian Civil War +7Serious subject: Danai's play focuses on women trapped in a marriage during the Liberian Civil War Multi-talented: On The Walking Dead, Danai (right) plays the katana-wielding character of Michonne +7Multi-talented: On The Walking Dead, Danai (right) plays the katana-wielding character of Michonne 'A feminist reading of the Liberian Civil War, a war that was ended by women, Eclipsed is both heart-breaking and profoundly life-affirming. We are delighted to welcome the extraordinary Lupita Nyong'o to The Public in this vitally important play.' Eclipsed will open on September 9 and will run through November 8. Although better known for playing Michonne on The Walking Dead since 2012, Danai has been an active playwright for more than a decade. Rising star: For her first feature film role in 12 Years A Slave, Lupita won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress +7Rising star: For her first feature film role in 12 Years A Slave, Lupita won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Other plays - including In The Continuum, The Convert, and Familiar - have been produced for the stage. Lupita, meanwhile, shot to fame with her first movie role in 2013's 12 Years A Slave - she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Patsey. She will next be seen on the big screen in the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens, when it opens in December. In the meantime, the actress announced Thursday that she had travelled back to her native Kenya to work with international conservation organisation WildAid

Amnesty International wants prostitution legalised

Amnesty International, one of the biggest human-rights groups in the world, is calling for prostitution to be legalized worldwide. But it's facing major backlash from human trafficking groups, who say that could do more harm than good. In August, the group will ask its delegates to vote on a proposal that calls for the decriminalization of sex work. The proposal makes it clear that human trafficking for sexual exploitation should be criminalized around the world, and certainly if the prostitution involves children. "Criminalization, in its varying forms, exposes sex workers to increased risk of human rights abuses," the proposal But part of the proposal has led activists to raise their eyebrows: the issue of consent. "By definition, sex work means that sex workers who are engaging in commercial sex have consented to do so," the policy reads. But an open letter signed by more than 400 human rights advocates, plus celebrities like Lena Dunham, Meryl Streep, and Kate Winslet, argues that's not the case. In the letter, the group says the policy would "legalize pimping, brothel owning and sex buying," but wouldn't necessarily protect prostitutes. Instead, they say it would create a "gender apartheid," which would privilege sex workers who have the choice to enter or leave the industry, and hurt women who don't have that choice. A Change.org petition urging delegates to vote "no" on the policy has received more than 4,000 signatures.

Former army chief reveals secrets behind Boko Haram mode of operations

Alex Badeh, the immediate past commander of the Nigerian military, has revealed that the effectiveness of the fight against the militant Islamist group, Boko Haram, was greatly hampered by fifth columnists within the military who leaked sensitive information and operational plans to the terrorist sect. Mr. Badeh, whose hometown, Mubi, was briefly captured by Boko Haram in 2014, was speaking on Thursday during his valedictory ceremony from the Nigerian Armed Forces. He said the activities of saboteurs within the military led to the unnecessary deaths of many soldiers and officers who unknowingly walked into ambushes laid by Boko Haram who had prior knowledge of troops movement. “The activities of fifth columnists in the military and other security agencies who leaked operational plans and other sensitive military information to the terrorist, combined to make the fight against the insurgents particularly difficult,” he said. “The activities of these unpatriotic members of the military not only blunted the effectiveness of the fight, but also led to the needless deaths of numerous officers and men who unwittingly fell into ambushes prepared by terrorists who had advance warnings of the approach of such troops.” Describing his task of coordinating the war against the insurgents as the “most complex and challenging assignment” of his 38-year-long career, he said he was saddled with the task of leading a military which lacked the “relevant equipment and motivation to fight an enemy that was invisible and embedded with the local populace”. He said the decision of some countries not to sell arms to Nigeria to prosecute the war also limited the capability of the military to effectively fight the insurgents. Citing human rights abuses perpetrated by the Nigerian military in its campaign against the insurgents, the United States, for instance, refused to sell arms to the Nigerian military and blocked an arms deal with Israel on one occasion. Nigeria’s decision to purchase arms from the black market led to the confiscation of $15 million illegally transported into South Africa by arms dealers contracted by the government. Nigeria later bought arms from China, Russia and other Eastern European countries to turn the tide against the insurgents. Mr. Badeh also blamed successive governments for neglecting the military over the years thereby reducing its capability as a fighting force of note. He said unlike the situation the Nigeria military found itself in, an effective military is built during peace time and adequately trained to combat future threats. He also blamed previous governments for listening to foreign advice to cut the size of the Nigerian military. “Permit me to also add here, that nation’s militaries are equipped and trained in peace time, for the conflicts they expect to confront in the future,” he said. “Unfortunately that has not been our experience as a nation. Over the years, the military was neglected and under-equipped to ensure the survival of certain regimes, while other regimes, based on advice from some foreign nations, deliberately reduced the size of the military and underfunded it. “Accordingly, when faced with the crisis in the North East and other parts of the country, the military was overstretched and had to embark on emergency recruitments and trainings, which were not adequate to prepare troops for the kind of situation we found ourselves in. It is important therefore for the government to decide on the kind of military force it needs, by carrying out a comprehensive review of the nation’s military force structure to determine the size, capability and equipment holding required to effectively defend the nation and provide needed security.” He thanked the personnel of the Nigerian armed forces who showed uncommon patriotism and commitment in the fight against the insurgents despite fighting under a very challenging condition. “Despite these challenges, I am glad to note that a lot was achieved during our time in the fight against terror,” he said. “The achievements recorded are largely due to the commitment, patriotism and fighting spirit of our men and women in uniform who saw the fight against terror as a task that must be accomplished no matter the odds and in spite of the campaign of calumny against the military by a section of the media with their foreign collaborators.” Mr. Badeh, now a retired Air Chief Marshal, and other service chiefs, were sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari on July 13. He was replaced by Abayomi Olonishakin, a major general. Premium Times

You'll never guess the actor Ben Affleck is dating now weeks after his split from wife Jennifer Garner

Nearly one month after announcing the end of his 10-year marriage to Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck has begun to move on. And the two-time Oscar winner, 42, didn’t have to look far to find a new romance. In the new issue of Us Weekly, multiple sources reveal Affleck has been dating 28-year-old California native Christine Ouzounian, a woman he and Garner hired as a nanny for their three kids this spring. When Ouzounian — an employee at a high-end Beverly Hills nanny agency — first started caring for Violet, 9, Seraphina, 6, and Samuel, 3, Affleck and Garner, 43, were in the midst of a secret 10-month trial separation. The Arizona State University communications grad soon developed an attraction to the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice star “They would hang out without the kids,” explains an Ouzounian pal. “And they were very flirty.” When Garner discovered there was something going on between her estranged husband and Ouzounian, she let the babysitter go. But the ex-sorority girl wasn't cut from Affleck’s life. The pair spent time together at Affleck’s new L.A.-area rental on July 17 and, says the Ouzounian pal, were in constant contact over text and email. “She says Ben really, really likes her,” says the friend. “She’s saying this is true love.” Us Weekly

Grammy winner Macklemore suffers drug relapse

He can change, if he tries. Macklemore had a big 2014. His breakout album, The Heist, won the 2014 Grammy for Best Rap Album and earned Macklemore and collaborator Ryan Lewis the Best New Artist Award, not to mention their handful of No. 1 singles. Afterward the rapper, 32, and Lewis, 27, retreated to their native Seattle, Wash., to work on new music. It was then, while they were trying to craft their new album, that the recovering addict began slipping back into some of his old bad habits. Now the “Thrift Shop” emcee is opening up about his recent relapse in the August/September issue of Complex. “I don’t feel like I’m grown up. I feel like I’m a kid,” he told the magazine. “I feel like I’m the 15-year-old kid down the street, trying to escape, get out of class, smoke weed in the street, and kick it. And that’s a version of myself that I don’t feel that far removed from.” His most recent relapse, he shared involved taking pills and smoking weed. “I held it together for a while,” he said. “But, eventually, I stopped going to my 12-step meetings. I was burnt out. I was super-stressed. We weren’t sleeping — doing a show every day, zigzagging all over the country. In terms of the media I was getting put into a box that I never saw for myself. The pressure and the fame — everything. All the clichés, man — like not being able to walk around, having no privacy, and from this TV appearance to this TV appearance, and the criticism, and the lack of connection, and the lack of meetings — all of that put into one pie was just…I just wanted to escape.” And so he did. Noting that “everyone knew, but they didn’t necessarily know” about his relapse, Macklemore recalled his fiancee, Tricia Davis, finding sleeping pills hidden in his shoe at the SXSW festival, which prompted him to sober up briefly. But one day, he said, “I sat in a car, a hot boxed car — I thought that was a good idea — and got high. And then the next day it was like, ‘What’s up with the weed?’ And once I’m there, it’s over.” The breakout star reflected on how he bargained with himself about sobriety. “You know, like, Monday, I’ma stop…. OK. Tuesday, I’ma stop…. OK, f—k it, I might as well go on to the weekend. Sunday, I’m done. But after this bag of weed…,” he explained, calling his actions “sneaky” and “deceitful.” Things got particularly bad when he started attending business meetings high and stopped making music with Lewis. “I’m in meetings with management with sunglasses on and I’m rolling around like a 15-year-old trying not to get caught smoking weed in my car,” he said. “Straight up, driving all around here, like I was 15 years ago. Same s—t. I felt so dumb. I felt like I’m just wasting time. What am I escaping here?” It took a major life change for Macklemore to clean up his act. In September 2014 he found out that Davis was pregnant with their first child and started attending his 12-step meetings again. “I’ve been trying to grow up this year,” he continued. “Since I heard that Tricia was pregnant, I was like, ‘I need to grow up right now.’” His new sobriety has also helped to get the creative juices flowing. “The sobriety was the wake-up call that I needed,” he said. “And, as it always works, the minute that I start actively seeking recovery — not just sobriety, but recovery — music is there. It always has been. Songs write themselves. My work ethic turns off-to-on in a second and I get happy again. I get grateful again." Us Weekly

University admissions controversy: Nig FG wades in

The Federal Government has overruled the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on its new admission policy that recently sparked off protests in parts of the country. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr. MacJohn Nwaobiala, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Tuesday, after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari of his ministry’s activities and challenges at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. JAMB had, at its 2015 Combined Policy Meeting, adopted a policy whereby candidates of universities with surplus applicants for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations are reassigned to other universities with lower number of applicants than their capacities. Protest started at the University of Lagos when the institution’s authorities announced that only candidates whose names were officially forwarded by JAMB are eligible to participate in this year’s UNILAG Post-UTME. Nwaobiala told reporters that the decision was jointly taken at a stakeholders’ meeting that had parents and others in attendance. He said because of the dust raised by the development, the Federal Government had commenced consultation with the aim of identifying where adjustments could be made. He however said students that made the cut-off marks have been directed to go and write post-UME examinations in their schools of first choice since that was the bone of contention. Nwaobiala said, “This JAMB thing has been there. As the policy making body, when these issues were raised, they raised in a stakeholders meeting. We normally have what we call the policy meeting. Everything about admission are discussed with parents and other stakeholders at the meeting. “These are decisions that we collectively took. However, we have a listening hear. We have taken a lot of the issues raised into consideration and we are consulting to see the adjustments we can make here and there. “The directive has been given. All the students that made the cut-off marks have been told to go and write post-UME examinations in their schools of first choice. After, they can go to their schools of second choice. That has been the bone of contention.” On the threat by the West African Examinations Council to withhold the results of candidates in 19 states, who wrote the May/June 2015 WASSCE following unpaid examination fees by the state governments, Nwaobiala appealed to states to fulfil their promises. Copyright PUNCH

Why we stopped Patience Jonathan - FAAN

The convoy carrying the wife of the former President, Dame Patience Jonathan, was stopped from taking her to the foot of the aircraft on the tarmac of the Port Harcourt International Airport, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has said. The former First Lady was reportedly stopped from using the VIP lounge of the airport. But the FAAN said it was not so. It was learnt that Dame Jonathan had gone to Port Harcourt on a private visit. Sources at the airport also alleged that the former First Lady was denied access to the lounge by security operatives of FAAN, who reportedly said they were working based on orders from “above.” But reacting to the report, FAAN, in a statement on Tuesday, described it as misleading and mischievous, stressing that the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan was not denied access to “the VIP lounge at the Port Harcourt International Airport on July 27, 2015.” However, the authority was quick to state that what its security officials did was to stop the former First Lady’s convoy from gaining access to the tarmac where her aircraft was parked. The General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Yakubu Dati, said the security officials explained to Dame Jonathan’s team why her convoy was stopped, adding that the officials were only abiding by international safety standards. FAAN said, “The former First Lady’s convoy was only denied access to the foot of the aircraft during boarding formalities at the airport in line with international aviation best practices, strictly for safety reasons, as prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Our security officials explained this fact to details of the former First Lady. “We wish to recall that former President Goodluck Jonathan, in his recent trips from the same airport, had had to walk to the aircraft from the protocol lounge, in recognition of this ICAO regulation.” FAAN went on to explain that family members of former Presidents were officially entitled to use the VIP lounge, adding that Dame Jonathan would not be denied that right. It said, “We wish to state that no such thing happened as Dame Jonathan, like other family members of former Presidents and other designated principal officers of government, are officially entitled to the usage of airport VIP and protocol lounges under the management of FAAN.” Copyright PUNCH

US gave Buhari names of oil thieves in Nigeria

The United States of America has handed over the names of Nigerian oil thieves to President Muhammadu Buhari, a member of the President’s entourage during last week’s visit to the US confided in The PUNCH on Tuesday. “I can tell you that the President already has the list of names of the people engaging in the stealing of Nigeria’s oil. The list, when released by the President, will shock Nigerians. But let’s wait and see first,” the source said. The source said Buhari was taken aback when he saw the names on the list and that the list given to the President by the US might compel him to probe the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. A Presidency source also confirmed that Buhari had such a list but that “the President has been keeping the list to himself.” The source, who told our correspondent about the list in the President’s possession, said the US gave Buhari two separate lists – one listing the names of top government officials who have been stealing the country’s oil, using their high offices to perpetrate the stealing; and the other containing the names of illegal oil bunkerers. The President had said last week that some ministers in the cabinet of Jonathan were stealing as much as 250,000 barrels of Nigeria’s crude daily. The Presidency source, who spoke to one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity, said Buhari had vowed that those whose names appeared on the list would not go scot-free. “The President will probe all of them and make sure they return whatever fortune they had made from their thievery,” the source said. The source said the President was already tinkering with the idea of constituting a panel to investigate those on the list with a view to arriving at how to deal with them based on the findings of the committee. However, it was gathered that, unlike the usual probe panels, the President would likely set up a special security team to handle the probe. The PUNCH learnt that the names on the list of oil thieves are a mixture of highly placed government officials, and retired and serving military officers. Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress said on Tuesday that it supported the probe of the Jonathan administration by Buhari in the light of mind-boggling corruption that had been uncovered by the Federal Government. “Some people have insinuated that the Buhari administration should ignore the massive looting of our patrimony and move on. We say no responsible government can afford to do that, because it will amount to endorsing corruption and impunity,’’ the party said in a statement issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. The APC said billions of dollars had been skimmed off by “pathologically-corrupt public officials” in the oil sector alone, wondering how the government of the day could meet its obligations to the citizens if it refused to recover the huge funds taken away by thieving officials Mohammed’s statement read, ‘‘It is an irony that those who are suggesting that the Buhari administration should turn a blind eye to the incomprehensible looting are the same ones accusing the government of not doing anything. “It is even a cruel irony that the same party that presided over what is fast emerging as the worst governance in the history of our country is the same one that is daily bad-mouthing an administration that is cleaning up its mess. ‘‘Where does one start from? Is it the fact that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation failed to remit N3.8tn to the Federation Account or the mind-blowing stealing of 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day? “Is it the fact that the NNPC itself does not know how many bank accounts it had or into which ones the payments for Nigerian crude are made? Could anyone have imagined that a government minister would steal the unprecedentedly-huge amount of US $6bn of public funds as being alleged? ‘‘How does any sane person rationalise the fact that $1bn was unilaterally and illegally withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account just because, as the immediate past Minister of Finance has disclosed, the President ordered the withdrawal? What about the billions of naira waivers recklessly approved to dubious importers by the Jonathan administration?” It added, ‘‘Is it not clear now that the stealing and the profligacy – more than anything else, including the fall in oil price – helped to drastically reduce the monthly allocation from the Federation Account from about N800bn to about N400bn , thus pauperising the states and the local governments, and by extension the citizenry? “Against the background of the stunning revelations, what message will any government be sending to its citizens and indeed the global community by looking the other way, when it could still recover some of the looted funds for the benefit of the people? “This is why we are supporting the Buhari administration’s probe decision and we are calling on all Nigerians to support ongoing efforts to get to the root of the matter.” The APC said it was clear that the Jonathan administration had deliberately delayed giving the then incoming Buhari government the handover notes so as to avoid being asked critical questions pertaining to the looting under its watch. Also, the Peoples Democratic Party said it was on the same page with Buhari in the fight against corruption, but that due process must be followed. The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in Abuja on Tuesday, said the clarification became necessary so as to remove any misconception that it was against the decision of the present administration to probe some past officials of government because they were PDP members. Metuh said, “The PDP supports the decision of the Federal Government to fight corruption in our country. “However, we make bold to state that it should not be disguised to victimise innocent citizens. Democracy has come to stay in Nigeria and no citizen, irrespective of political, religious or ethnic affiliation, should be denied access to due process and the rule of law in the process.” He added, “Furthermore, we make bold to state that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. In that regard, therefore, we advise members of the APC blowing the horn ahead of the cart to keep quiet because many of them have been major beneficiaries of corruption and sleaze associated with themselves and their allies, especially one of them who as a disguised errand boy of a well-known APC leader is a major beneficiary of the largesse of perpetrators of corruption. “Apart from Mr. President, who for now, is not associated with any sleaze or corrupt activity in this democracy, most APC leaders are still those who as governors, ministers and labour leaders have been the worst corrupt set of Nigerians ever to bestride the political landscape of the country. “It is a great miscarriage of perception therefore for the APC leaders who are perpetrators of sleaze and corrupt acts to attempt to deceive Nigerians with imaginary holiness in this anti-corruption war by the President.” Consequently, he called on the President, as the leader of the APC to remove the log in the eyes of his party while “we support his commitment to remove the speck from the eyes of others.” Copyright PUNCH

Don't misjudge Buhari - Tinubu tasks Nigerians

A national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday urged Nigerians who have been accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of being too slow to allow the President at least 100 days of honeymoon. He said change, which was at the centre of the party’s campaign ahead of the presidential election, would not be achieved with a magic wand. Tinubu spoke with State House correspondents shortly after meeting behind closed-doors with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. “May 29 was when this President was sworn in. It is an international norm; there is a honeymoon period, at least, a minimum of 100 days’ honeymoon. And won’t you allow honeymoon at all? You said change is not coming. Change is not by magic. It is driven by the people, the spirit and the character and the planning,” he said. The former Lagos State governor said the nation had witnessed many problems in the past because policies were made in a hurry without proper planning. He said it was better for the government to take its time to plan, than to rush into taking actions because of sentiments and emotions. He added, “It is not fair to jump into those conclusions (that change is late in coming). There must be time to plan, to review and even listen to people. “There is a separation between campaign periods, articulating your vision and expressing the promises to Nigerians. There is a time to look at holistically what you inherited, analyse it, distil and then take action. “Even in 100 metres race, there is a time to say ‘on your mark, set and ready, go.’ “So, you don’t even want a time to be on your mark, set and go? No, you are not being fair.”The President met members of your party in the House of Representatives. That ended in deadlock. What is your position in all these?” On the leadership crisis in the National Assembly, Tinubu said it was only the conclusion of the media that the peace meeting called by Buhari on Monday ended in a deadlock. He said rather, his position was that there is a political process that needs to develop its own life and be worked upon to stabilise and continue to serve the interest of the populace. Tinubu said by the time the National Assembly starts its lawmaking works in earnest, the President needed to step in once in a while, as he did, in order to let the people to understand the import of the expectations of the public, and particularly of the international community on various programmes and institutions. Copyright PUNCH.

Ekiti PDP gets into trouble with landlord

The Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State has received an eviction notice, directing it to vacate its state secretariat in Ado Ekiti for failure to pay its rent. The landlord of the property, a two-term state PDP Chairman and now a member of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Ropo Adesanya, said the PDP issued him a dud cheque. Electricity supply to the party secretariat had been disconnected by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company as a result of unpaid bills. Adesanya, who was the PDP state chairman for eight years, including the tenure of Governor Ayo Fayose, is asking for N1.5m as owed rent. Describing the situation as “very embarrassing,” the acting Chairman of the PDP in the state, Tunde Olatunde, confirmed that the cheque issued to Adesanya was not honoured by the bank. Olatunde took over from the immediate past chairman of the party, Idowu Faleye, who was removed. Faleye, an ally of the governor, purportedly stepped down on May 13 following pressure from members of the state executive committee. Olatunde heads a faction which has 14 state working committee members and 51 members of SEC who are in the majority. He explained that Adesanya had already forwarded a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, Etop James, on the alleged issuance of a dud cheque. He said cash could not be drawn from the party’s account at an old generation bank despite the fact that the account had about N17m. Olatunde said, “The truth of the matter is that our party has been ejected for not paying our rent by our landlord, Chief Ropo Adesanya, who was our party chairman for eight years and who produced Mr. Governor in his first term. “We are owing the man N1.5m and we issued him a cheque of our account in an old generation bank that has about N17m at the time we were using it but mysteriously, the cheque was not honoured for no just cause. “Chief Ropo Adesanya has petitioned the Commissioner of Police for the issuance of dud cheque and the police have confirmed that there is money in that account. “The twist in the story is that Mr. Governor is saying that Adesanya bought the house nearly 10 years ago when they sent him (Fayose) on exile. Copyright PUNCH

The global Yoruba nation mourns as Ooni of Ife joins his ancestors

THE Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, reportedly passed on, on Tuesday, at 85 years and seven months. He was born on January 1, 1930. Unconfirmed sources said the monarch, who was said to have been flown out of the country since last Friday, died in the United Kingdom. Most top Ife indigenes and Osun State government officials contacted by The PUNCH late on Tuesday kept sealed lips but some traditional rulers in the state confirmed that Sijuwade had died. The spokesperson for the Ooni, Chief Funmilola Olorunnisola, told one of our correspondents that, “I don’t have anything to tell you immediately.” One Osun traditional ruler, who asked not to be quoted, confided in one of our correspondents on the phone last night that the Ife monarch had died. He said, “The Ooni is dead. It is true. He died about two hours ago in the UK. His two oloris (wives) – Olori Moni and Olori Odun – were with him in the UK. “He travelled out for treatment anytime he fell ill but he couldn’t make it this time. It is sad but I believe it is God’s time. There was nothing anyone could do to stop it. “Tokunbo, his eldest child, will probably leave for the UK this evening. There is nothing we can do but we take solace in the fact that he lived well. The proper announcement will be done later,” The traditional ruler’s account was corroborated by another monarch, who explained that the Ooni was indeed flown out of the country five days ago in an air ambulance after he slumped. A call to the line of the monarch was not answered. There had been fears over the health of the first class monarch since 2013 when he was taken out of the country for medical attention for over a month. Oba Sijuwade ascended the throne in December 1980. Born on January 1, 1930, Sijuwade became the fiftieth ruler of the ancient kingdom of Ife, popularly referred to as the cradle and source of the Yoruba, in 1980. Though he took the name Alayeluwa Olubuse II upon his installation, he dropped “Alayeluwa” from his name a few years back, saying that only God is fit to be called “Alayeluwa.” Alayeluwa means omniscience. A former commissioner and indigene of Ife, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “It is true. I was with him on Wednesday. Last Thursday when we held the political summit in Ife, he supported us and sent an emissary to the summit. He slumped on Thursday and was rushed to Ibadan airport from where he was flown to Lagos in an air ambulance en route to England for treatment. He became stable by Saturday. It is sad that he relapsed and passed on.” The flamboyant traditional ruler was crowned king on December 6, 1980 in a colourful ceremony attended by prominent traditional rulers the Emir of Kano, Oba of Benin, Amayanabo of Opobo and the Olu of Warri as well as the representatives of the Queen of England. It was gathered that the Ife traditional council and the Osun State traditional council would meet on Wednesday. A competent source disclosed that emissaries from the two councils would visit the Governor of Osun, Rauf Aregbesola, to officially break the news to the governor. Sijuwade was born to the Ogboru ruling house. The handsome king was a grandson of the Ooni Sijuwade Adelekan Olubuse I. He studied at the Abeokuta Grammar School and Oduduwa College in Ile-Ife. He worked for three years in his father’s business and later did a two-year stint with the Nigerian Tribune, before attending the Northampton College in the United Kingdom to study Business Management. At the young age of 30, he became a manager in Leventis, a Greek-Nigerian conglomerate. In 1963, he became the Sales Director of the state-owned National Motors in Lagos. After spotting a business opportunity during a 1964 visit to the Soviet Union, he formed a company to distribute Soviet-built vehicles and equipment in Nigeria. This later became the nucleus of his widespread business empire. He also invested in real estate in his home town of Ile-Ife. By the time Sijuwade was crowned Ooni in 1980 he had become a wealthy man, whose fame and connection was global. When Sijuwade became the Ooni, he inherited an ongoing dispute over supremacy between the obas of Yorubaland. In 1967 the crisis had been resolved when the late Yoruba sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was chosen as the leader of the Yoruba. In 1976, the Governor of Oyo State, General David Jemibewon, had decreed that the Ooni of Ife would be the permanent chairman of the State Council of Obas and Chiefs. Other Obas led by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, said the position should rotate. The dispute calmed down when Osun State was carved out of Oyo State in August 1991, but still persisted. In January 2009, Sijuwade was quoted as saying that Oba Adeyemi was ruling a dead empire (the Oyo Empire, which collapsed in 1793). Adeyemi responded by citing “absurdities” in Sijuwade’s statements and saying the Ooni “is not in tune with his own history”. It will be recalled that Oba Adeyemi, the Permanent Chairman of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, was conspicuously absent from a meeting of Yoruba leaders in April 2010. In February 2009, Sijuwade helped mediate in a dispute over land ownership between the communities of Ife and Modakeke, resolved in part through the elevation of the Ogunsua of Modakeke as an Oba. In August 2010 he mediated in the ownership dispute between Oyo and Osun states concerning Ladoke Akintola University, calling a meeting attended by Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, governor of Osun State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, governor of Oyo State and the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education which resulted in an action plan. Copyright PUNCH

Leadership tussle: Gbajabiamila elected to top position in House of Reps

The House of Representatives has named Femi Gbajabiamila the majority leader, in a move likely to help calm a house frayed for weeks by leadership tussle. Mr. Gbajabiamila emerged the All Progressives Congress caucus leader hours after the House leaders met with the leadership of the ruling APC in Abuja. The meeting was at the behest of President Muhammadu Buhari. The house has been racked by leadership tussle since its inauguration June 9. Mr. Gbajabiamila, a former minority leader, was pushed for the speakership slot, but narrowly lost to Yakubu Dogara. Mr. Dogara’s rejection of the party’s demand that Mr. Gbajabiamila be given the majority leader position, split the house into two factions, each insisting on its term for resolving the conflict. Also, Ado Doguwa was named chief whip and Buba Jibrin, deputy leader. Pally Iraise was named deputy whip. Premium Times

Banks' lists of creditors wmerge when?

Banks and discount houses will from next week August 1st commence the publication of the list of loan defaulters in newspapers, as directed by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The CBN in a circular referenced BSD/DIR/GEN/LAB/08/022 dated April 22, 2015 entitled: Recovery of Delinquent Credit Facilities, asked the banks to give three month deadline to all loans defaulters starting from May 1, 2015 to settle their debts or get their names published in the papers. In the circular, signed by the CBN Director of Banking Supervision, Mrs Tokunbo Martins said it has observed the rising trend of non-performing loans (NPL) in the industry. Furthermore, banks and discount houses are required with effect from May 1, 2015 to: Give the delinquent debtors three months of grace to turn their accounts from non-performing to performing status. “Publish the list of delinquent debtors that remain non-performing in at least three national daily newspapers quarterly (The delinquent debtors are those whose accounts have been classified lost and include the persons, entities, directors, subsidiaries and other related parties). The list must be sent to the CBN as soon as the publication is made. “In order to ensure that the industry NPL ratio does not exceed the prudential limit of 5%, and to improve the credit culture in the banking industry, banks and discount houses are directed to observe prudent credit underwriting and monitoring standards.” Daily Trust leant that the banks have since commenced sending notices to the loan defaulters via papers publications. Sources at the banks who don’t want to be named due to the sensitive nature of the issues said already some of the defaulters have been reporting to the banks to negotiate the settlement terms. “I think there is serious progress so far, I leant that some loan defaulters are responding to the notice,” one of the bank officials told Daily Trust. About N400 billion non-performing loans out of the N13 trillion total loans in the country are recorded which is equivalent to 3 percent of the total credit. Yesterday, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in its notice urged the debtors and obligors connected to its loans to immediately pay their debts to the, or present a comprehensive, feasible restructuring plan to settle the debts. The Bad debt manager said if no action is taken, it will, without hesitation, utilise the full extent of its special statutory powers under the AMCON Act to recover the amounts due and outstanding plus accrued interest. DAILY Trust

Oliseh new S/Eagles' coach unveils selection criteria for team

Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, has amended his original stance that only Nigerian players in the top division clubs will be invited to the team during his tenure. “We need those who are used to playing at top tempo to serve and play for Nigeria. That is why we took that decision. And of course this applies only to field players but doesn’t really apply to goalkeepers because goalkeepers are made of a different breed,” he said in a new Oliseh Tv video uploaded to YouTube on Monday and which he personally sent out via Twitter. Oliseh’s statement at his unveiling on July 13 to the effect that “Only first division players are the ones that we find eligible to serve our country” generated a lot debate with many critics insisting that the policy could not work as many of the Nigerians abroad had dropped to lesser clubs. “And this doesn’t also apply to players that are already in the national teams. By this I mean players that have excelled in the national U-17, U-20 or U-23 team as they are also eligible to play for the Super Eagles. We will also accept a player who has excelled for the Eagles in his career but who for no fault of his goes down to the second division with his club. We will keep monitoring such a player. If a club refuses to sell a player and he is tied down with them, then we will have to look in at those players and monitor their shape. We want only the best to play for Nigeria and that’s we have to keep to the standard.” The former Eagles captain, like his predecessor Stephen Keshi did several times, explained that he was going to rebuild the national side from the scratch. He added that the first national camp would hold in August as he and his assistants continue the search for the best players across the world. He said, “We have split the search into two phases of home-based and foreign-based players. And for the European beat, we have visited some players and contacted others by phone – those we feel can help the team as we prepare to face Tanzania. “We will assemble by mid August and the training starts. It will end up with the trip to Tanzania.” The coach also made reference to the 2018 World Cup qualifying match billed against Djibouti or Swaziland. He said that the schedule could make the job psychologically easier for the Eagles. He said, “We are delighted to play away first to Djibouti or Swaziland as it will mean playing the last game at home in Nigeria. And so we are happy by that arrangement even though that won’t guarantee us qualification.” Copyright PUNCH.

Fayose and Ekiti APC at loggerheads again

The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has accused Governor Ayodele Fayose of hounding its leaders and supporters to jail in a bid to run the opposition out of the state. A statement by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, said the alarm became imperative in the face of persistent victimisation of APC members arrested on trumped-up charges that saw them ending up in jail. He was reacting to the Sunday night arrest of a former Ekiti Chairman of Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria, Mr. Rotimi Olambiwonnu (a.k.a. Mentilo), who was later arraigned before an Ado Ekiti Magistrate’s Court on Monday. Olambiwonnu was accused of complicity in the murder of a former Ekiti State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Omolafe Aderiye. Magistrate Idowu Aiyenimon has adjourned the matter till Friday, following an objection by the Defence Counsel, Niran Owoseni, that his client was brought to the court when the case had been concluded. Aderiye, a staunch supporter of the governor, was killed on September 25, 2014 in Ijigbo area of the state capital, Ado Ekiti. The Police had earlier charged four persons to court, after arresting and questioning 19 persons in respect of the killing to determine their level of culpability. The Ekiti Police Command, later on November 24, paraded a former Coordinator of Oodua People’s Congress in the state, Prince Adeniyi Adedipe, a.k.a. Apase, over the same murder case. Speaking with newsmen after the court session, Owoseni said the action of the government was an attempt to incarcerate his client and put him out of circulation. Olatubosun said, “Governor Fayose at his inauguration ceremony last October publicly declared a one-minute silence for the death of the APC in the state, promising to send the party members out of town. “True to his declaration, no fewer than 10 leaders of our party have been hounded out of town while two are in jail over trumped-up charges, even as teachers that were perceived as having sympathy for the APC were transferred to the remote areas of the state while the governor is still after Fayemi’s officials to seize their cars, even when the matter is in court. “This is the same way he wants to eject them from their Housing Estate homes which runs against legal agreement in the purchase of their houses. “His first victim was our Chairman, Chief Jide Awe, who the governor implicated in the murder of Mrs. Juliana Jeje and Ayo Jeje in Erinjiyan-Ekiti, even when it was proven that Awe was out of the town when violence broke out among party rivals that claimed the lives of the victims,” he said. Copyright PUNCH

Senate leadership tussle takes a new twist

Senators opposed to the leadership of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Monday filed a fresh suit at Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the nullification of the inauguration of the 8th Senate carried out by the management of the National Assembly, on June 9. The senators are operating on the platform of a group called Senate Unity Forum. A member of the group, who confirmed the development to one of our correspondents on conditions of anonymity, explained that one of their prayers was that the court should declare the inauguration of the 8th Senate as well as the election of the presiding officers as null and void. He said the group, based on the revelations in the police report on the alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Order 2015, was of the view that the document used for the inauguration and the election were fake. He added that the group expected the state to commence a criminal prosecution against person and persons indicted in the alleged forgery scandal to serve as deterrent to others. He said, “We are doing this in the interest of our great country because anybody or group of people could wake up one day and conspire to ammend the Nigerian Constitution without following due process, if the current case of forgery scandal is not acted upon” Attempts to speak with the spokesperson for the SUF, Senator Kabir Marafa, on the issue were futile as he did not pick calls made to his line on Monday night while text messages also sent to him were not responded to. Meanwhile, some senators on Monday, cautioned against any criminal prosecution against anyone indicted by the police in the amendments made to the Senate Rules 2015. For instance, Senator Shehu Sanni, (APC Kaduna-Central) cautioned against any action that would lead to the arrest of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, because doing so would be counter-productive. He said that if for any reason Ekweremadu was removed, the Senate may continue to witness stern opposition as the APC alone cannot form the required quorum to pass bills. He said, “Evicting him will trigger another issue. We have to learn to live with what we have for the smooth running of the senate and the administrations of President Muhammadu Buhari” Although Sanni noted that he would have preferred that the APC occupied the presiding officers positions in the Senate but that the party should accept the present composition and move on. Another Senator, Abiodun Olujimi ( PDP Ekiti-South) said the amendments made in the 2015 Senate standing orders being referred to as forgery by the Senator Ahmad Lawan group in the senate, was carried out by the management of the National Assembly for the inauguration of the 8th Senate. She said the senators alleging forgery as a result of slight amendments effected on the 2011 Senate Standing Order used by the 7th Senate as reflected in the 2015 standing order, were just playing politics with a strictly internal matter of the senate. She insisted that there was legislative immunity on the matter, which prevents both the police and the court of law from meddling in it. She said, “As far as majority of the senators are concerned, the alleged forgeries being bandied about by Ahmad Lawan and his group, is a ruse, because for every new senate, a new standing order must be provided which was what was given to senators at the inauguration of the 8th Senate on the 9th of last month. “Lawan and the other senators are crying wolf where there is none. Were not the only senators who were in the 7th senate and besides, the 7th senate ended with its standing order of 2011 on the 4th of June 2015. “The 2015 senate standing order is a fresh document meant for the 8th senate and not 7th senate, so where lies the forgery they are talking about?” She added that appropriate sanction may later be meted out to those dragging the institution of the senate in the mud on matters that are strictly internal. She said, “I think there are reprimands for those who go outside the line and I am sure that the senate will apply appropriate sanction at the appropriate when to those that may be found culpable on this matter at the end of the day.” Copyright PUNCH

How Buhari's meeting with APC's lawmakers turned out

The meeting President Muhammadu Buhari held with the All Progressives Congress members in the House of Representatives on Monday failed to resolve the leadership crisis in the lower chamber of the National Assembly. At the end of the meeting which lasted about 20 minutes, members of the two factions in the House stuck to their different positions and interpreted the President’s message to them during the closed-door meeting in a manner that suited their camps. A mild drama played out as members of the different factions struggled to grant interviews to State House correspondent. The thrust of their positions was that the President directed them to remain with the party with a view to ensuring that the APC delivers the promised change to Nigerians. A leader of one of the factions and former Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, later told journalists that the meeting dwelt extensively on party supremacy, adding that before the end of the day, Nigerians would be briefed on the decision reached. He said, “We are still talking. But I think this is the first time everybody is coming together in a cordial atmosphere. We came together for the first time as one family, with a lot of camaraderie. I think we are almost at the point where all of these would be behind us, hopefully by tomorrow (Tuesday). “It is not about magic; it is about what should have been done a long time ago. We have finally sat down together and we will resolve it before the night, in a couple of hours. “The important thing is that the country wants to move ahead. The House wants to move ahead and the party wants to move ahead. Move ahead, we shall. “Whoever or whatever outside forces that might have been stoking the fire, I think we would put that to an end this evening at the meeting.” The National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said the party would have a good news for the nation by Tuesday. Odigie-Oyegun said a lot was achieved during the brief meeting. The party chairman said, “Everything is upbeat. You can see that I am smiling. You will be very surprised that a lot was achieved in 20 minutes. “As the chairman of the party, I can say that there are no discordant tunes. You can see the Speaker of the House standing firmly besides me and I have a feeling that in another three or four hours and by tomorrow, we will have good news for the nation. “It is never too late to straighten the path.” The Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, said he had always remained on the side of the party. “I have always stood firmly by the party. There has never been a time that I never stood firmly by the party. “So, like my chairman has explained, we are going into consultations with the party and I am sure that sooner than later, we will have good news for Nigeria.” The meeting which was held inside the new Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, started at about 5.40pm and ended about 20 minutes after. Dogara and Gbajabiamila led their different groups to the meeting. Some members of the APC National Working Committee, led by their chairman, also attended. Copyright PUNCH

Jonathan's ministers stole 6 billion dollars?

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Monday, said the Peoples Democratic Party government of former President Goodluck Jonathan had destroyed the country. Oshiomhole, who was on the entourage of President Muhammadu Buhari to the United States, said Nigeria had in Buhari a President who talked with confidence unlike “a President that is blabbing and is not sure of what the issues are.” The governor spoke with State House correspondents shortly after meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said, “The PDP destroyed the country. I mean from the lips of American officials; senior officials of the State Department said one minister under PDP cornered as much as $6bn. “The man said even by Washington’s standard, that is earth-shattering. “So, the PDP is a party that presided over the liquidation of our nation, destroyed all our institutions, converted the Armed Forces commanders to use them as if they were political thugs, converted the Nigerian Television Authority to a party megaphone, destroyed the Department of State Services, went after opposition as if we were rabbits to be pursued into our holes, compromised even student unions and destroyed everything that you can think of, and elevated religion to a state affair. “Under the party, Israel became a place you visit every week; they placed pastors against mallams, placed the North against the South, the East against the West, just to retain power; elevate Obas and Obis with dollars. “You guys (journalists) were reporting dollars that were changing hands; when the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation was spending much more money than is available to the Federation Account. “We are a very patient people. If we were not a patient people, anybody wearing the tag of PDP ought to feel very unsafe because you are all victims — all of us here.” He added, “Mr. Johnnie Carson, who was the Assistant Secretary of State, when we visited him in company with Senator (Bukola) Saraki, then as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum — that was at the eve of President Obama’s first visit to Africa — and we went to complain, ‘why is Nigeria not on the list?’ “What he said, for me, was quite instructive compared to what he said last week. Then I was present when he said ‘you know, we, who see ourselves not just as friends of Nigeria, each time we think there is light at the end of the tunnel and it is time to encourage Nigeria to build on it, you would wake up the following day under President Jonathan to find out that even the tunnel had been removed.’ “Those were the words of Mr. Carson. Now last week, this same Carson chaired the President’s address at the Institute of Peace and he said ‘we now have a man of enormous integrity; one that has shown so much faith in the democratic process; one that refused to be frustrated even in the face of massively rigged elections. He submitted to the judicial process and even when that was compromised he never gave up. “‘America has done its check and we are convinced that this President is the one that Nigeria needs at this time to regain its leadership of the African continent.’” Copyright PUNCH

Jehovah's Witnesses covered up over 1,000 children sex abuses

The Jehovah's Witness church hid child sex abuse allegations against more than 1,000 of its members, a Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Australia heard Monday. The reports came across a 60-year period, and the church followed a policy of internal investigation into the allegations. Testimony to the commission also said that 401 members were kicked out of the church since 1950, but half were later allowed back in—and that the requirement that two witnesses testify to the crime meant that many of the sex abuse allegations went uninvestigated. The counselor presenting evidence said that the church looked at the "spirituality and the seductiveness" of accusers when evaluating their abuse claims, and that it blamed at least two victims for their own abuse

Rap singer Snoop Dog cross paths with Sweden laws

U.S. rapper, Snoop Dogg, was briefly arrested in Sweden on suspicion of using illegal drugs, Entertainment Weekly reported on Sunday. The 43-year-old rapper was stopped by police in Uppsala, the fourth largest city of Sweden north of the capital Stockholm, after giving a concert in the area on Saturday night. “Police carrying out roadside controls noticed that Snoop Dogg [whose car was pulled over] seemed to be under the influence of narcotics,” a police spokesman for Sweden’s Uppsala region said, according to Agence France-Presse, as cited by The Guardian. “He was arrested and taken to the police station to take a urine test” the spokesman added. However in a series of Instagram posts, Snoop claimed that the arrest was due to racial profiling and said he wouldn’t come back to Sweden. Al Arabiya

Buhari reacts to Senate standing order forgery scandal

The Presidency on Sunday said President Muhammadu Buhari would not stop the prosecution of anybody indicted in the report of the Nigeria Police on the forgery of the Senate Standing Order. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said this on Sunday in an exclusive interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja. Shehu said Buhari believed in the rule of law and would not do anything that would derail any judicial process, stressing that those who were constitutionally saddled with the process did not need the President’s clearance to do their job. He said, “They do not need the President’s clearance to prosecute anybody found guilty of any investigation. President Muhammadu Buhari, as all Nigerians know, believes very strongly in the rule of law. “The President will therefore not do anything that will stop the judicial process. He won’t stop it (the trial of suspects in the Senate forgery case).” There were reports on Sunday that the police investigation had confirmed that the Senate standing order was forged and that the police had recommended that some staff of the National Assembly should be prosecuted. The police had invited the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and some other National Assembly officials over a petition alleging that the Senate standing rules were tampered with in the conduct of the election of Senate President Bukola Saraki, Ekweremadu and other principal officers on June 9. Though the Director (Information), Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Charles Nwodo, could not confirm to The PUNCH if the report had been submitted to the ministry for prosecution to begin, some lawyers on Sunday said the alleged offence was criminal and that culprits would be made to face the wrath of the law. A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Jiti Ogunye, said considering the enormity of the alleged crime, government should go ahead to take the appropriate action on the report regardless of any political interpretation given to it. Ogunye said, “The release of the report vindicates the widely held view that what took place in the National Assembly towards June 9 and in particular the election in the Senate on that day following the proclamation of the National Assembly was a sham. “This report tells us that a lot of ugliness is going on in our public life. Because we are not talking about Students’ Union parliament or a private document, we are talking about the National Assembly of Nigeria. “So if the bureaucracy of the National Assembly can be enmeshed in lawmaking forgery, the implication of that is that Nigeria is a nation of forgers. That would then mean that these people can also forge laws. “With the report, the law should take its course whether you are a clerk of the National Assembly or a senator of the National Assembly.” A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Norrison Quakers, said, “First of all, it is a criminal offence. And the law has to take its course. The penalty is a fine and a term of imprisonment; either or both. Any lawmaker who is involved in the forgery allegation, that has now been substantiated that indeed the document was forged, will have to answer criminal allegations and face prosecution. “What the law prescribes as penalty for the offence of forgery is a minimum of four years imprisonment; it is about four or more.” Another Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Wahab Shittu, said, “First of all, I want to believe that no lawmaker would be involved in such a shameful act; but if it is proven that any lawmaker is involved, it is a criminal offence. “Depending on the legislation under which they are arraigned, there is an element of forgery scattered in all our legislations. We have forgery under the EFCC Act; we have forgery under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act; we have forgery under the Criminal Code. It (the punishment) depends on the enabling legislation under which they are charged.” Meanwhile, some anti – Saraki senators, who spoke with The PUNCH on Sunday, asked the senate president and his deputy to step aside since the police investigation had established that the senate rules used for their election had been forged. Senator Kabir Marafa, spokesperson for the Senate Unity Forum, a group of Senators loyal to Senator Ahmad Lawal, the APC’s choice for the senate presidency outwitted by Saraki, expressed satisfaction at the report. “I have not seen a copy of the report and I don’t know the details but if a case of forgery has been established as being claimed in the media, I think the ideal thing is for the presiding officers who benefitted from the illegal amendments to resign their positions,” Marafa said. Marafa, an APC Senator from Zamfara Central, asked both the police and the justice ministry to do the right thing by taking necessary steps to ensure justice. “On our part, we are resuming on Tuesday and our demand on the floor of the Senate is that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, must ensure that the chamber is run according to its rules,” he said. But the Senate President challenged the Senators calling for his resignation to articulate their position on the floor of the Senate instead of resorting to media propaganda. In a statement by his spokesperson, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said, “I am not going to respond to speculations based on a report which the police has not confirmed or which no one had seen a copy; so I don’t think it will be proper for me to react to what does not exist. “As for those calling on the presiding officers to resign, why are they making their call on the pages of newspapers? They should go to the floor of the Senate to articulate their views. There is no point drawing unnecessary public attention to issues that can be treated in-house” A Peoples Democratic Party senator from Ekiti South, Abiodun Olujimi, said the issue would be discussed on the floor on Tuesday with a view to condemning a situation whereby “some people would be externalising the affairs of the chamber” “We will definitely study the report and debate it dispassionately to look at the issues involved but we are going to condemn the idea whereby some people, by their action, would be threatening the legislative immunity by involving outsiders in the internal affairs of the chamber, “ she said. Attempts to speak with the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, over the development were unsuccessful on Sunday as calls to his mobile phone did not connect while text messages also sent did not deliver. Sources in Abuja on Sunday indicated that Senators were billed for a showdown when they resume on Tuesday (tomorrow)as rival factions were poised to take on each other over the police report alleging forgery in the Senate standing order. The PUNCH reliably learnt that the pro-Lawan group were considering two options, including a call on Saraki and his deputy, Ekweremadu, to resign. It was also learnt that the group was planning to obtain the report and submit it to a Federal High Court that is already hearing a suit on the matter in Abuja. Senators Barnabas Gemade; Abu Ibrahim, Lawan, Geore Akume, Kabir Marafa, Sulaiman Hunkuyi and Gbenga Ashafa had asked the court to declare the inauguration of the 8th Senate as strange and irregular. They are also asking the court to declare the Senate Standing Orders 2015 used for Saraki and Ekweremadu’s elections as inoperative, null and lack of legislative process. Copyright PUNCH

Whitney Houston's natural legacy totally gone, family gears for war

Bobbi Kristina Brown, the daughter of late superstar Whitney Houston and singer Bobby Brown, died Sunday at the age of 22, a representative of the Houston family said in a statement. With that, there are no more descendants from the late singer's line of her close and extended family. Bobby Kristina, "Krissie" to her close members, was Whitney's only child. “Bobbi Kristina Brown passed away Sunday, July, 26 2015, surrounded by her family,” the statement said. “She is finally at peace in the arms of God. We want to again thank everyone for their tremendous amount of love and support during these last few months.” She was treated in a hospital and then a hospice facility in the nearly six months since she was found unresponsive and not breathing in the bathtub at her Roswell home on January 31 — nearly three years to the day after her mother accidentally drowned in a bathtub in Beverly Hills, a victim of the vices she had fought for much of her career. Brown was placed in a medically induced coma, relatives have said. Rumors flew about her condition, with family members and loved ones taking sides in the drama. In April, her maternal grandmother, Cissy Houston, said Bobbi Kristina had “global and irreversible brain damage.” “Meeting with the doctors and understanding that she can live in this condition for a lifetime truly saddens me,” Houston said. “We can only trust in God for a miracle at this time.” The statement was released days after her father and Whitney Houston’s former husband, R & B singer Bobby Brown, told an audience in Dallas, “I can say today, Bobbi is awake. She’s watching me." Krissie was reportedly scarred upon realising that Nick Gordon, the formerly adopted son of Whitney who became her live-in lover, really don't care for her very much but was rather freeloading his way through life via her money. It was doubly excruciating for her especially as her because apart from feeling backstabbed by Gordon since he is raised by Whitney, her relatives already ostracised her because Whitney left her estate and all that wii accrue to it, to her daughter without leaving all of them anything. Gordon is under investigation for withdrawal of over 11 thousand dollars from Krissie's account while she was hospitalised. Her depression at Gordon's break-up from her after her purported refusal to give in to his fresh material demands led to her rash decision to stage her death in a similar fashion to Whitney's so she could finally be with the only person who she knew really loved her. Earlier, someone within the family unsuccessfully tried selling pictures of a dying Krissie to media outlets for a lump sum. But, the approached news agencies refused to even consider a purchase because of the distasteful nature of the proposed transaction. Recently, Pat, Whitney's sister-in-law and executor of the deceased singer's estate, went to Krissie's home to pack all her belongings in what keen observers say is a preemptive measure at checkmating attempts by greedy relations from carting away valuables from the home. Now, all eyes will now shift to the settlement of Krissie's estate. She left no heir or will and as the only person who inherited all of Whitney's estate, this process will be highly complicated and hotly contentious. Whitney's brothers, their wives, extended family are poised for war against her mother towards getting huge chunks of the yet-20 million dollar estate.

Saudi king appropriates French enclave

The Mirandole beach on the French Riviera, which is usually packed with holidaymakers and sunbathers, is eerily quiet as the stretch of sand has been locked down for the lavish visit of Saudi Arabia's King Salman that has riled some locals. The king's vast holiday home overlooks the beach, where a police sign says: "Access and circulation are forbidden on this public maritime domain and swimming is banned under the right of the residence of the king of Saudi Arabia." A French police van is parked at the entrance of the royal home, where the king and 1,000 members of his entourage arrived on Saturday. Another police vehicle is stationed at the Mirandole beach, between Antibes and Marseille. In the water, two police boats patrol the coastline to ensure that no intruders breach the 300-metre radius ban. At the main entrance to the king's villa which stretches along several hundred metres of turquoise coastline, security guards can be seen relaxing on plastic sun loungers. Access to beaches is normally open to the public in France as it is the state that owns the coast, and tensions often flare when local authorities close them off partially by granting concessions to firms offering rentals of parasols and sunbeds. One petition demanding that the beach stay open has gathered 120,000 signatures from locals. "The Saudis are welcome in France so long as they respect French law," said local councillor Jean-Noel Falcou, who started the petition, referring to illegal construction work by the villa. "Where will we end up if the rich and powerful have the right to not abide by the law, under the pretext that they spend money?" But others felt differently. A rival petition went online Sunday, gathering some 100 signatures, calling for "support for the Saudis for obvious reasons of state security and for the economic benefits." - 'A good client' - For starters, some 400 luxury sedans with tinted windows have been hired for the royal visit this month, according to a group of drivers waiting at a hotel entrance. They will be used to drive the Saudi king's relatives and friends around, as well as military officials from the oil-rich Gulf country. Waiting for clients at a top hotel in Cannes, where some of the Saudi guests are being hosted, one driver wearing a shirt and tie despite the damp Mediterranean mid-summer heat is sure to have plenty of work in the coming weeks. "They ask us to take them to restaurants, or they say they want to visit Saint Tropez, Monaco, Nice or villas in the area, because they want to buy property," Aimed told AFP. His colleague Aimen believes the king's visit "is a very good thing for the region." Using another acronym to refer to the jihadist Islamic State group, he said: "We need to understand these security measures... Saudi Arabia is a country at war that is fighting Daesh. We don't need to throw confetti at him but if we do not welcome him well, he will go wherever they do roll the red carpet out for him." Other locals also see the visit as a boon for the Riviera. "The beach closure bothers me a little," said Tony, who owns an apartment across the road from the Mirandole beach. "But I am ready to sacrifice my personal comfort because the king is a good client for France." Keltoum and Jo, two sisters on holiday near Mirandole beach, also said the economic benefits trumped all. "These little inconveniences pale in significance in front of the revenues. The king's presence doesn't bother us at all," they said. "It's been three weeks since delivery trucks started arriving," transporting appliances, flowers and even domestic workers, said the sisters. "And you should see the queues in Cannes in front of Hermes and Chanel!" by Vincent-Xavier Morvan AFP

10-year-old suicide bomber attacks Yobe cattle market

No fewer than 19 persons were killed in a suicide attack on a market in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, on Sunday. The State Police Command has, however, said 15 people died and 47 others were injured in the explosion. The Police Public Relations Officer of the Yobe State Police Command, Toyin Gbadegesin, told journalists that a female suicide bomber, whose age he believed could not more be more than 10 years, carried out the attack. He said the small girl detonated an Improvised Explosive Device at the entrance of the market at about 9.30am on Sunday. He said preliminary report indicated that 15 people had been killed while 47 others, who were injured, were receiving treatment at the Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital in Damaturu. The PPRO explained that five units of primed IEDs were also recovered from the scene of the blast, warning the people to be careful with people carrying bags as the militants had resorted to using bags in conveying their explosive devices. Meanwhile, the Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, in a statement by his Director of Press, Abdullahi Bego, on Sunday, described the attack as horrific. The governor said “has been briefed about the horrific bomb attack in a market in Damaturu today, in which 19 people were killed and many others injured.” The statement added, “This is another sad day in our state in which innocent people were again the target of blood-thirsty terrorists. “His Excellency Governor Gaidam’s thoughts and prayers are with the families of victims and those who sustained injuries. The governor has condemned the attack as callous, barbaric and unjustifiable." The Punch

Varsity students dump corpse at VC's office

Medical Students of the Benue State University, Makurdi, have deposited the coffin of their dead colleague at the office of the Vice-Chancellor in protest. SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that the deceased, Idoko Nicholas Inalegwu, died in controversial circumstances after receiving the news of his withdrawal after spending 10 years in medical school. Idoko was withdrawn for failing a re-sit. A student, who spoke to one of our correspondents on telephone on condition of anonymity, said they believed that Idoko took his life because he could not bear the news that his 10 years in medical was in vain. “He had been talking about it; that he wished he died a painless death; that the school had finished him. There is nowhere in the world that a medical student is withdrawn after spending 10 years,” he said. The student said the students had complained about the manner in which examinations were conducted, where re-sits were prolonged for up to one year, as against the stipulated six weeks, with no efforts to engage the students. The students, after an altercation at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital mortuary, obtained the coffin of their dead colleague and marched to the VC’s office, vowing not to leave until their grievances were resolved. All efforts to reach the Vice-Chancellor, Mrs. Charity Angya, for comments proved been abortive as she neither picked several calls made to her mobile phone nor responded to a text message sent to her as of the time of filling this report. Copyright PUNCH.

Leadership tussle plays out at NIMASA

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Mr. Muhammed Bashir, is currently in trouble over the recent leadership tussle in the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt. It would be recalled that in sacking Dr. Patrick Akpobolokemi as the agency’s Director-General on July 6, President Muhammadu Buhari had directed him to hand over the management of NIMASA and all government property in his possession to the most senior officer in the agency who will remain in charge until a new DG is appointed. Following that directive, Akpobolokemi on Monday handed over to the agency’s Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr. Calistus Obi. But a mild drama reportedly played out at the agency’s Burma Road, Apapa, Lagos headquarters barely three days after when it became clear that Obi was not the most senior officer. That discovery led to the elevation of the agency’s Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mr. Baba Jauro, as the acting DG when he was discovered to be the most senior officer. Jauro was said to have formally lodged a protest against Akpobolokemi at the Ministry of Transport and Office of the Head of Service of the Federation before the reversal was made. But a source in the ministry told our correspondent on Saturday that the Permanent Secretary was suspected to have played a role in the initial elevation of Obi as the acting DG. The source said Obi had already been issued a query by the HOS, Mr. Danlandi Kifasi. Kifasi also gave Bashir a query. He added that Kifasi issued the query on the orders of the President who was angry that his directive was not followed on the choice of the acting DG. “I can confirm to you that the Permanent Secretary has been queried by the Head of Service due the embarrassment caused by that drama in the agency. He is expected to explain his role in the matter,” the source said. He said the reversal of role between the two top officials of NIMASA was a result of the investigation which revealed that although the two of them were appointed at the same time, Jauro resumed in the agency about three days ahead of Obi. “The two of them were appointed the same day but their record of resumption showed that the new acting DG resumed about three days before Obi resumed,” the source added. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, had in a statement on July 6 announced the termination of Akpobolokemi’s appointment without giving a reason for the development. Meanwhile, SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that the President would make his ministers and key aides to sign a pact not to corruptly enrich themselves while in office. Our correspondent learnt on Friday that Buhari came to that conclusion when confronted with some documents that detailed how some former government officials amassed wealth with impunity. When contacted on Friday on the matter, Adesina said nothing was strange in Buhari giving terms and conditions to whoever he engages to work with him. Adesina likened it to rules of engagement always handed down to whoever is engaged for an assignment. He said, “It is only natural that if the President engages you to work with him, there will be terms and conditions. It is not strange. Don’t forget that we had a President in this country who compelled people to sign pre-dated resignation letters. I am not saying that this President is going to do that, but it means there can always be terms and conditions. These are just like rules of engagement.” Copyright PUNCH

Police confirms Senate forgery

The Nigeria Police have concluded their probe into the forgery of the Senate Standing Order and given a copy of the report to President Muhammadu Buhari, SUNDAY PUNCH can authoritatively report. The President received a copy of the report last week, a highly reliable source in the presidency told one of our correspondents on Saturday. The Police report confirmed that the Standing Rules used to inaugurate the 8th Assembly were forged, our source said. In the report, the Police recommended the prosecution of those found culpable of forging the orders, which had been used in the controversial election of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on June 9, 2015. The report was said to have indicted the management of the National Assembly, especially the Clerk, Salisu Maikasuwa and recommended the prosecution of the suspects. Acting on a petition by Senator Sulaiman Hunkuyi (All Progressives Congress, Kaduna State), the Police had on July 6 quizzed Ekweremadu and Maikasuwa over an alleged forgery of the standing orders. The petition alleged that some parts of the 2015 Senate Orders were different from the one ratified by the 6th Senate in 2010, which was used by the 7th Senate, as Standing Orders 2011. The Police, on the strength of the petition, had subsequently quizzed the leadership of the 7th Senate, including former Senate President, Senator David Mark; his deputy (now Saraki’s deputy), Ike Ekweremadu; former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba; and the former Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang. The Clerk to the National Assembly, Maikasuwa, who is the custodian of the Senate Standing Order was also invited for questioning by the police. According to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, handed over copy of the investigative report to Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja last Sunday. The source said, “I can confirm to you that the President has a copy of the Police’s investigation report on the Senate forgery and I can also authoritatively tell you that the report confirmed that the Senate rules were forged. Notable among those recommended for prosecution in the National Assembly is the Clerk because he is the one that keeps the Standing Orders.” When asked if the Directorate of Public Prosecution had received a copy of the Police report, the source said he couldn’t confirm that. SUNDAY PUNCH’s study of the controversial 2015 Senate Standing Orders, Rule 3, as contained on page four of the document, which has to do with the election of presiding officers, had shown that it is different from the 2011 Senate Order. Rules 3(e) (i) and (ii) have been included in the 2015 document to accommodate electronic voting and secret ballot, whereas secret ballot and ballot papers were not specifically mentioned in the 2011 Standing Orders. The Senate Order 3 (e) (ii) of 2011 states, “Voting shall be conducted by the Clerks-at-the Table, using the Division List of the Senate with the Tellers in attendance. The Clerk of the Senate shall submit the result of the division to the Clerk of the National Assembly. “(iii) The Clerk shall then declare the Senator-elect who has received the greater number of votes, elected as President of the Senate.” The same section in the 2015 Senate Order however reads, “Voting by secret ballot which shall be conducted by the Clerk-at-Table using the list of the Senators-elect of the Senate, who shall each be given a ballot paper to cast his vote with the proposers and seconder as Teller. The Clerk of the Senate shall submit the result of the voting to the Clerk of the National Assembly who shall then declare Senator-elect who has received the highest number of votes as Senate President-elect.” Apart from the ‘alteration’ to the procedure for election, Order 95 of the 2011 rule on the chairmanship and membership of the committees is also different in the 2015 version. In the 2011 document, provisions in Order 95 read, “The membership of all committees shall not be less than 11 and not more than 13 senators. (2) No senator shall serve in more than three committees (3) No committee chairman shall serve in more than one other committee.” However, a new insertion in the amended version reads, “The appointment of Senators as Chairmen and members of committees shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the six geopolitical zones of the country and there shall be no predominance of senators from a few geo-political zones.” In SUNDAY PUNCH’s exclusive report on the scandal, which was published on July 19, some senators who served in the 7th Senate had disowned the 2015 edition of the Senate Standing Orders (as amended). Similarly, members of the current 8th Senate across parties had also denied being part of any amendment process. The senators, who were from both the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, said they were not aware of any amendments to the 2011 Senate Standing Orders. For instance, Senator Victor Lar (PDP, Plateau-South) had declared, “As of the time we left the (7th) Senate, there were no alterations (to the Senate Standing Orders).” Also, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business in 7th Senate, Senator Ita Enang, stated that the Standing Orders that was used and closed within the 7th Senate was the Standing Orders that should have been used for the inauguration of the 8th Senate. Enang, who was in the PDP when he was in the Senate but later defected to the APC, had stated, “I made proposal for amendments between 2011 and 2015, I laid the report on the floor, but we did not consider the report. We did not amend the Standing Orders. “Before we left, I had approved the reprinting of the Standing Orders and the reprinting did not include inserting anything which was not in the old one. Reprinting is, simply reproduce what we have because there are no more copies.” Some senior legal practitioners had told SUNDAY PUNCH that forging a document like the Standing Rule of the Senate was a felony, which, according to them, is a criminal offence against the state that attracts a penalty of three years jail term, a fine or both. However, when contacted on Saturday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, did not confirm if the President had received a copy of the report. “The Police are still working on the report. Investigation is still going on,” he said. Director (Information), Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Charles Nwodo, responding to an inquiry by one of our correspondents on Saturday night also said he was not aware of the if the DPP had received a copy of the report. Copyright PUNCH

Ambode debuts new trade dept, gets communication from S/Africa

South Africa’s ruling party, Africa National Congress, said it backed the decision of the Lagos State Government to prosecute the Synagogue Church and two engineers for the September 12, 2014 building collapse in the church. The ANC made the statement on Friday during a courtesy visit to the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, in the Lagos House, Ikeja. The leadership of the party, led by its Treasurer, Dr. Zwelini Mkhize, said that the state government’s stance on the coroner’s verdict was good for justice. Mkhize also expressed the appreciation of the party to the state government for ensuring that the bodies of South African nationals who were involved in the incident were flown to the country for burial. He said, “We are very pleased to learn of your decision on the coroner’s verdict in terms of the Synagogue disaster in Lagos last year. “While we appreciate the assistance that you made to ensure that all of the victims were repatriated to South Africa, we also support whatever is being done on your side on the incident.” The ANC Treasurer said the visit was also to seek ways to strengthen bi-lateral trade between South Africa and Nigeria. He added that both countries would benefit from each other in terms of trade and investments. Ambode, while responding, reiterated his administration’s commitment to boosting trade relations with South Africa. He said, “We have established the Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment so that we can strengthen bilateral relations. We need more investors to come into Lagos so that we can create employment and grow our GDP. Whatever it is you think we can do to increase investors from South Africa, we are ready to talk. We hope you would also create the same platform for businessmen from Nigeria who do businesses in South Africa.” The governor said he supported the existing relationship between the All Progressives Congress and the ANC, saying both had common ideologies. Copyright PUNCH

Buhari plans split of Nig state oil coy NNPC into two?

President Muhammadu Buhari has finally revealed what will be the fate of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, saying the national oil company will be divided into two successor entities under his administration. The President, who stated this in an interview with journalists in Washington DC during a four-day visit to the United States, an extract of which was made available to Saturday PUNCH, explained that the decision would form one of the key steps of his reform of the country’s oil and gas sector. The NNPC is considered a cesspool of corruption and fraud signposted by the non-remission of revenues from oil sale to the Federation Account. Hence, one of the first reform moves by All Progressives Congress –led administration is expected to start at the NNPC. There had been insinuations that Buhari would unbundle the NNPC into four companies but the President, in the Washington interview, said rather than breaking the NNPC into four companies, it would be divided into two – regulator and investment vehicle. While one of the successor companies will be an independent regulator, the President said the second would operate as an investment vehicle for the country. He said, “I am reforming the oil and gas sector, breaking up the NNPC into two parts – the first will become an independent regulator for the sector, while the second will act as an investment vehicle for the country.” Buhari also said there would be a new bid round for oil blocks in the country, adding that he favours transparent auction process. “I will also end political control of the awarding of drilling and exploration rights by introducing a system of independent, transparent auctioning for licences,” the President said. Senate President Bukola Saraki had, recently, described the NNPC as the engine room of corruption. He lamented that none of the perpetrators of illegal deals in the corporation had so far been apprehended and brought to justice. “You hardly see where people who are the real engine room – which is the NNPC – where most of these corruption cases on oil are, being put on trial,” he said. Similarly, Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, had last week called for the setting up of another national oil firm as he argued that the present NNPC would kill Nigeria if it was allowed to continue running. “If you don’t kill the NNPC, it will kill Nigeria,” el-Rufai said. Buhari, as part of the ongoing reform of several strata of the country, said his administration would merge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission into one strong and more effective anti-graft agency. He said, “Corruption is one of the top three issues facing Nigeria, along with insecurity and unemployment. We must act to kill corruption or corruption will kill Nigeria. I am determined to lead that fight. “My government is already taking several steps to cut out the cancer of corruption that has been eating away at the state for so long. “We are reorganising the existing plethora of anti-corruption bodies into single powerful agency that will have the focus, power and budget to clamp down on corruption at the federal and state levels.” The President said ministers would no longer have power to award contracts while announcing the introduction of a new system of plea bargaining to encourage looters of the government money and oil thieves to return the people’s stolen commonwealth. He said, “I have already acted to remove political control over awarding of contracts away from ministers who use them to get political favours and kickbacks. “I will introduce a new system of plea bargain, that will allow those who have stolen assets and funds to return them – but if they do not take that opportunity we will pursue them through the courts.” Buhari insisted that his administration would not relent in asking foreign countries, including the US, to help in returning stolen funds that are sitting in private accounts abroad, but rightfully belonging to the people of Nigeria. The President lamented that the country had become over-dependent on oil because of the incompetence and corruption of government that concentrated on “how best to steal oil revenues instead of how best to use our oil windfalls to invest in a modern, growing economy.” Rather than continue to depend on oil, Buhari said Nigeria must become a manufacturing giant. “I will not be satisfied until the label ‘Made in Nigeria’ is as common globally, as the label ‘Made in China,’” he added. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. FULL INTERVIEW President Muhammadu Buhari during his recent four-day official visit to the United States, spoke with journalists in Washington DC on how he intends to run his government Boko Haram has killed over 400 people in the first half of July alone, and managed to further expand its reach beyond its core areas. You were elected on a promise to destroy the insurgency, what’s gone wrong? Boko Haram is on the run. We are beginning to turn the tide against Boko Haram. Yes, we have seen a recent increase in civilian deaths, but that is because Boko Haram members are now desperately changing tactics to avoid confronting a renewed and more effective military effort. Instead, they are now targeting civilians. It is a sign of their weakness, not their strength. Defeating Boko Haram will not happen overnight – it needs a combined military and social answer that will defeat and address the underlying social issues that are driving it. I am putting these measures into place step by step. First, I have moved the centre of military operations from Abuja to the heart of the insurgency in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, so that the military leaders are on the ground to lead the effort at the frontline. Secondly, I have revamped the nation’s military leadership with a new team that has the skills, experience and commitment to defeat the terrorists on the ground. Thirdly, I am working to improve the professionalism and accountability of the armed forces, including clamping down on the misappropriation of funds that has led to serious lack of resources and equipment in the battle against Boko Haram. Lastly, I am seeking to work with Nigeria’s partners, both our neighbours in the region and internationally such as the United States to develop a package of measures to tackle the entrenched marginalisation in North Eastern Nigeria and the surrounding areas in neighbouring states – where poverty levels are over 75 per cent. We need a marshal programme for the Sahel region to be able to prevent further radicalisation and insecurity in the long-term. The shocking truth is that Nigeria’s cupboard is bare. Despite receiving $400bn in oil revenue in the last 40 years, Nigeria’s treasury is almost empty. Partly, that is because of falling oil prices; it is also because money has been stolen – shipped out of the country by corrupt officials into foreign bank accounts. Some of that money is here in the United States. One of the things America can do is help recover those stolen funds so that we can reinvest them in Nigeria to combat the poverty that is driving insecurity. It’s been over a year since the Chibok girls were kidnapped and there has been no real progress made in recovering them, what measures are you taking to bring the girls home? The kidnap of the Chibok girls is a stain on our national honour and my government will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to rescue them. However, I will not lie to the Nigerian people. After the time that has passed, it is increasingly difficult to know whether we will be able to find all of them as they are likely to have been split up and married off or hidden deep in the forest or countryside. Nonetheless, my government will not give up. We will do everything in our power to bring back our girls. You have said that the solution to the Boko Haram insurgency will not just be a military one; does that indicate that you are prepared to negotiate with the group? Yes, we are prepared to talk to the more moderate elements of Boko Haram. We are prepared to address the legitimate concerns over unemployment, poverty and marginalisation that have driven the insurgency. We are even prepared to consider some form of amnesty, similar to what is in place in the Niger Delta, for the rank and file who lay down their arms and commit to the peaceful reintegration into society. However, there can be no forgiveness for the barbaric leadership that has pursued a deliberate policy of diabolical war crimes and terror against the innocent civilian population of Nigeria. Last week, you replaced the service chiefs and the chief security adviser over the failure to defeat Boko Haram. However, there is some concern that you have replaced many of them with your own supporters from the North. Are you using the pretext of Boko Haram to politicise the leadership of the Nigerian armed forces? I am the Commander-in-Chief. It is my job to ensure that the best and most qualified leaders are in charge of the armed forces, so that we can keep the Nigerian people safe. We will only defeat the military threat of Boko Haram if we have the right leadership team in place leading from the frontline. Having the right military leadership in place, who know and understand the local terrain, together with the counter-insurgency team in the North, is vital to winning the military battle. These new officers have been selected strictly on merit, on the basis of their record and skills. Other than the new Chief of Army Staff, of whom I have prior experience, I have no prior relations with the other heads before I appointed them – it was their track record that recommended them. Turning south to the Niger Delta, the amnesty for former combatants which has helped to keep the peace in the Niger Delta is due to end in December this year. What measures do you propose to replace it? The amnesty still plays an important part in ending the insurgency in the Niger Delta and I am committed to continuing it as long as it is necessary to do so. However, it is not a long-term answer to the problems there. Just as in the North, the Niger Delta requires long-term investment in both economic and social infrastructure – from roads and railways, to schools, hospitals and housing. That is what people want, a fair share of the resources that their region is producing. But you have already said that Nigeria’s cupboard is bare – how can you afford such programmes? Nigeria is not a poor country: we have the natural resources and ingenuity to be an economic superpower. It is our people who have been made to be poor because of incompetence and corruption. If we can recover the stolen money, attract private sector investments, and tackle corruption, then we will be able to provide the economic growth and development; that is the long-term answer to insecurity. An NGO, Global Financial Integrity, recently calculated that $150bn was illegally shipped out of Nigeria over the last decade, what measures do you intend to adopt to clamp down on the industrial scale corruption that has bedevilled Nigeria and held back its economic growth and social development? Corruption is one of the top three issues facing Nigeria, along with insecurity and unemployment. We must act to kill corruption or corruption will kill Nigeria. I am determined to lead that fight. My government is already taking several steps to cut out the cancer of corruption that has been eating away the state for so long. First, we are reorganising the existing plethora of anti-corruption bodies into a single powerful agency that will have the focus, power and budget to clamp down on corruption at the federal and state level. Secondly, I have already acted to remove political control over awarding of contracts from ministers who use them to get favours and kickbacks. Thirdly, I will introduce a new system of plea bargains, that will allow those who have stolen assets and funds to return them – but if they do not take that opportunity, we will pursue them through the courts. Fourthly, I am reforming the oil and gas sector, breaking up the NNPC (the state oil company) into two parts – the first will become an independent regulator for the sector, while the second will act as an investment vehicle for the country. I will also end political control of the awarding of drilling and exploration rights by introducing a system of independent, transparent auctioning for licences. Lastly, we shall be asking foreign countries, including authorities here in the United States, to work with us to return stolen funds that are now sitting in private accounts in their banks and rightfully belong to the people of Nigeria. But you have also said that you will “draw a line” under past corruption – doesn’t that mean that some of the worst offenders will now go scot-free? We will vigorously pursue any and all anti-corruption cases and investigations that are currently ongoing, but the government has to be realistic; we are not going to mount a new wave of prosecutions over historic cases. So, yes it is inevitable we will indeed draw a line under some historic abuses, but there will be zero tolerance for corruption going forward. Does that apply to everyone; will you take action if it is found that your supporters, leading members of the APC have been involved in corruption? You cannot cure a sick patient by only treating one half of them. There will be no political interference in the fight against corruption – and no political favours to protect the corrupt from justice. There is some concern that despite spending 14 years trying to become president, you did not exactly hit the ground running and that you will not now be appointing members of the cabinet until September. Why is it taking you so long to get started and put your team in place? We cannot clean up 16 years of mess in a few months of frantic activity. I know that people are impatient for change, but it is far more important to take your time and take the right steps and appoint the right people than to run around pretending to be doing something, yet achieve nothing. First, I will make sure that the right rules and management structures are in place to ensure good government. Only then will I appoint credible ministers, with the track record of delivery and probity in good time. After all, President Obama did not complete the appointment of his first cabinet until five months after he was elected and America did not cease functioning in the meantime. Nigeria’s economy is heavily over-dependent on the oil and gas sector, accounting for over 80 per cent of GDP and 90 per cent of government revenues. What measures are you putting in place to diversify the economy? Nigeria is blessed with a rich array of natural resources, not just oil and gas, but abundant solid minerals and huge tracts of arable land. Forty years ago, Nigeria was a net exporter of food; today we are an importer. We should not only be self-sufficient, we should be the bread basket for Africa. We have only become over-dependent on oil because of the incompetence and corruption of government that concentrated on how best to steal oil revenues instead of how best to use our oil windfalls to invest in a modern, growing economy. However, we cannot be content to just export raw materials and commodities abroad: we must become a manufacturing giant. I will not be satisfied until the label “Made in Nigeria” is as common globally, as the label “Made in China.” My government has a clear plan to diversify and rejuvenate Nigeria’s economy. We are shifting our economic focus to expanding and modernising our agricultural and mining sectors by attracting new private investment – moving away from the overdependence on oil. We will use our oil revenues to upgrade our decaying infrastructure – boost electricity generation and build new road and rail networks while upgrading our ports. We will also focus on improving education and skills training so that we can take advantage of the growing global trend for new sources of labour and tackle the crisis of youth unemployment and create a new value-added manufacturing sector. We are reforming the out-of-date and bureaucratic land laws, giving title deeds to millions of ordinary farmers, so that they will finally be able to use their land to raise capital to invest in modern agricultural equipment and transform production throughout the country. The global fall in oil prices has hit Nigeria hard, with the Federal Government losing up to half of its revenues in the past year. How is this affecting your reform plans? Nigeria cannot spend what it doesn’t have. However, given the previous levels of waste and corruption, if we spend what we have more wisely and effectively, we can achieve a great deal more. One step I have already taken is to pay the salaries of civil servants, some of whom had not been paid for over 10 months. In the long-term, we must sort out Nigeria’s chaotic finances – we have to diversify government income – both by increasing the size of the non-oil economy and by expanding the tax base, so that the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. However, we must also sort out spending – we cannot have a situation where half the government’s expenditure goes on the salaries of just two per cent of the population. That said though, we must first pay people the salaries that they have earned. What about the fall in the Naira, how will you prevent another run on the currency further depleting Nigeria’s reserves? Nigeria has to win the confidence of the markets; we will only do that by demonstrating our commitment to probity and prudent public spending. Copyright PUNCH