Drama In Senate As Tinubu’s Wife, Remi ‘Takes Over’ Ekweremadu’s Seet

Lagos Central senator and wife of APC national leader, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, caused a minor drama during Wednesday’s plenary as she sat on the chair meant for the deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu.

Ike Ekweremadu who claimed to have been a victim of an assassination attempt was absent.

Tinubu stood to second a motion on the approval of the$200m loan requested by Lagos State but was immediately rebuked by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators, who asked her to vacate Ekweremadu’s seat.

She later bowed to the pressure, returned to her seat to second the motion, but came back to Ekweremadu’s seat afterwards where she continued her conversation with the majority leader, Ali Ndume, who seats next to the deputy senate president.

Biafra Protest: Nnamdi Kanu’s Trial Stalled

The trial of the leader of the indigenous people of Biafra, Mr Nnamdi Kanu, has been stalled, following the failure of the Department of State Service (DSS) to produce him in court.

At the resumed hearing of the case at a Magistrate Court in Abuja, two sets of lawyers, who claimed to be representing Mr. Kanu announced appearance.

One of the lawyers, Mr. Vincent Obete, told the court that he was briefed by the famly of Nnamdi Kanu to represent him, while the second lawyer, Mr. Gabriel Egbule, said he was personally briefed by Nnamdi Kanu on October 19, when he was arraigned before the court.

Following the absence of the accused person, Magistrate Shuaibu Usman ordered the DSS to produce him on November 23, to enable him identify his legal team.

Mr Kanu is standing trial for alleged criminal conspiracy, managing and belonging to an unlawful society and criminal intimidation contrary to sections 97 and 397 of the penal code.

Nobody’s untouchable – New EFCC boss

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, yesterday gave a resounding of warning that nobody will be spared in its anti-corruption crusade in the country.

The agency also denied spending stolen funds recovered from corrupt individuals in the country.

The EFCC boss represented by his Director Public Affairs Department, Osita Nwanjah, said full weight of the law would be brought to bear on anyone caught found in corrupt practices.

“I must sound a note of warning to all present, that acts of fraud, corruption and other forms of economic and financial crimes, whether committed by individuals or groups will not be overlooked by EFCC,” he warned.

The EFCC boss disclosed this during an interactive session organized by National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, for the anti-corruption crusade body and principal officers, union representatives of polytechnic and specialized institutions held in Kaduna.

EFCC said recovered stolen funds have been returned to the true owners of the money.

How corruption hampered the fight against Boko Haram – Presidency

Nigerian troops were denied weapons to fight Boko Haram and thousands of lives were lost because of rampant fraud in the procurement process, President Muhammadu Buhari has alleged.

Buhari ordered anyone involved in corrupt multi-billion dollar deals for weapons and equipment to be “brought to book” after receiving a report from a committee set up to probe the issue.

“The findings made so far are extremely worrying considering that the interventions were granted within the same period that our troops fighting the insurgency in the northeast were in desperate need of platforms, military equipment and ammunition,” he said late Tuesday.

“Had the funds siphoned to these non-performing companies been properly used for the purpose they were meant for, thousands of needless Nigerian deaths would have been avoided.”

Buhari, a retired army general and former military ruler, came to power in May, vowing the crush the Islamist rebels whose insurgency has killed at least 17,000 people since 2009.

Front-line troops serving under his predecessor Goodluck Jonathan frequently complained the militants were better armed and they lacked the proper equipment, including bullets, to fight.

In one instance, some frustrated soldiers fired shots at their commander’s vehicle. They were court-martialed, found guilty of mutiny and sentenced to death.

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How our father raped us — daughters

Ibadan—Oyo State Police Command has arrested a man who allegedly defiled his two under-aged biological daughters and two of his nieces, all between 14 and 17 years.

The crime was allegedly committed at Moniya in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state.

Though the suspect, a herbalist, denied the incest allegation, saying he was being held for a crime he did not commit, the confessions of the four girls took many people at the state police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan by surprise as they narrated how the father had sex with them at different times.

While parading the suspect, identified as Tajudeen Awoniyi, Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammed Katsina, said the accused person had carnal knowledge of his own daughters whenever he was drunk.

The commissioner alleged that the suspect would give black soap to the other two nieces before having sexual intercourse with them one after the other.

Nieces’ story

The children, aged between 14 and 17.

Speaking with newsmen yesterday, one of the victims (names withheld), said: “My sister and I are the nieces to Tajudeen Awoniyi.

“His daughters came to our house and asked us to follow them to their place. On getting there, her father told us he would give us soap by midnight which we must use to bathe.

“Around 1a.m., he woke me up, gave me a black soap and asked me to go and take my bath. After taking my bath, I went to him and he placed something under his tongue and asked me to sleep on a bench.

“He had sex with me. Afterwards, I was bleeding and he asked me to go to bed. By morning, he sent my sister and me out of his house.”

The sister, who is about 16 years old, corroborated the story, saying “after taking my bath at night, he tied my mouth with cloth so that people would not hear me when I cried.

“He had sex with me afterwards and by morning he sent me out of his house.”

He’s been sleeping with me since last year—Daughter

One of his daughters also said: “My father has been sleeping with me since last year. Whenever he comes home drunk, he sleeps with me and my sister (names withheld). He had slept with me three times now since last year.”

He once threatened my mother with cutlass—Sister

Mr Tajudeen

The suspect’s sister said: “When I came back from where I travelled to, I did not meet my daughters at home. So I asked the people around and I was told that my brother’s children came to my house and my daughters went out together with them.

“I said they could not have slept in my brother’s place because it has been a while I saw him. The next day as I was about to pray around 6:30a.m., my brother showed up.

“I was scared because I usually get scared when I see him since the day he threatened my mother with cutlass to release his children for him when they were still little.

“So he told me that my daughters slept in his place and he had asked them to go back the next day. It was not until the third day that I saw my daughters. Someone staying around brought them home.

“One of them was holding her tummy. I later took them to the hospital where we found out about the incident and I had to call the police.”

The victims, who dared their father and told the police the whole story, further explained that they kept sealed lips for fear of being beaten by the herbalist.

PDP compiling list of APC governors, candidates facing corruption charges – Metuh

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration to show transparency on issues relating to remittances and operation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA). PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, made the call at press conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

Metuh said that the PDP had watch with keen interest some disturbing developments in recent times, particularly, disagreement between the National Assembly and the Federal Executive on controversies surrounding the handling of TSA.

He said that conflicting statements emanating from the Minister of Information and the CBN underscored the fear being raised by the Senate that there might be underhand deals in the handling of the TSA. “Whereas the Senate has ordered its committee on finance and public accounts to investigate the remitting and handling of N2.5 trillion into the TSA, the federal executive has different view.

“The federal executive, through the minister of information, had earlier informed the nation that the sum of N1.4 trillion has been remitted. `The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) put its figure at below a trillion and announced an estimated collectible amount of N1.2 trillion,’’ Metuh said.

The PDP spokesman said that the party was also aware that the firm handling the TSA remittances had been given the `leeway to rake millions of naira into unknown purses’ through training of personnel. “For emphases, we want to state that this company has asked the APC administration to charge Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to bring five of their personnel for training to understudy how to use TSA.

“Each of the personnel are being charged N65, 000,’’ he said. Metuh also decried the inconsistency in the denials of PDP revelation that the presidency and INEC had secret meetings on the governorship election in Kogi to ensure victory for the APC.

“While INEC out rightly denied ever holding any such meeting with the Presidency, the President, through his media aide, Garba Shehu, acknowledged holding the secret meeting, but said it lasted only five minutes.

“We ask, who do Nigerians believe; the Presidency or INEC?’’

Metuh also alleged that the APC was now flooding Kogi state with money ostensibly to sway the people and purchase their mandate.

“This primitive attempt at vote-buying is not only an insult on the people of Kogi state but also setback to efforts towards credible elections in Nigeria,’’ he said.

He said that the PDP was compiling a list of APC governors and governorship candidates who were facing corruption charges, “not accusation as they are already in court.

“Never in the history of this country have we ever seen any political party fielding corrupt candidate as APC is doing,’’ he said.

He said that PDP would continue to show responsibility and caution in ensuring that only facts that had been verified by the party were put out to the public at all times.

“We will not indulge in falsehood as we continue in our opposition role of putting this administration on check in the general interest of the nation.’’

Woman blows self up in Paris raid

It is now clear that France is about to become another north-east prone to bombings and killings.
  
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed Wednesday that a woman detonated an explosives vest during a police assault in the hunt for those behind the terror attacks in the city.

Three men holed up inside the apartment were arrested, while a man and woman were arrested near the location of the raid, read a statement.

Police sources said a second suspected jihadist had been killed in the raid which began just after 4:00am.

Meanwhile the prosecutor’s office said that police had released family and friends of jihadists Ismael Mostefai and Samy Amimour who blew themselves up in the Bataclan concert hall, where 89 were killed.

We’ll stop spending huge sums to import foods our farmers can produce – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that Nigeria cannot continue to spend huge sums on the importation of foods that farmers in the country can produce. The President stated this on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi while inaugurating the 2015/16 Anchor Borrowers’ Dry Season Rice Planting Programme sponsored by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Buhari observed that the importance of agriculture in the economy of the country could not be overemphasised as it provided the foundation on which the country’s economy was built prior to the discovery of oil.

“The importance of agriculture in the economy cannot be over emphasised. Prior to the advent of oil, our country‎ survived on agricultural production with huge economic potentials from our palm oil, groundnuts, cotton, and rubber plantations.

“During this period, the economies of our sub-region were built ‎on agricultural activities and our gross domestic product grew steadily. “The discovery of oil was expected to compliment our agricultural productivity, but we allowed oil to almost completely‎ replace it.

“The current trend in the international oil market has brought to the fore the urgent need to diversify both the productive and revenue bases of our economy and conserve our foreign reserve by limiting our appetite for importation of goods that we can easily produce locally.’’

He stressed the need for the urgent diversification of the nation’s economy in view of the dwindling revenue from oil occasioned by the fall in oil prices in the international market.

“This means there are limited resources available to government at all levels and hence economic diversification is no longer an option for us as a nation; it is the only way to reclaim economic momentum and the drive to 

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MASSOB counters Buhari, sure of UN referendum on Biafra

MOVEMENT for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), yesterday disagreed with President Muhammadu Buhari over his statement that Nigeria was indivisible, describing it as his ‘personal opinion.’

The Movement also boasted that the United Nations (UN) would conduct a referendum for Biafrans to decide on the popularity and acceptance of their cause. The group took a swipe at the military’s decision to quell pro-Biafra protests, just as the South East governors enjoined the protesters to tow the line of peace.

But the Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division of Nigerian Army, Enugu, Brig-General Ibrahim Attahiru yesterday re-emphasised the warning against insecurity which the Division issued on Monday to pro-Biafra protesters. “Agitators should know that there is a certain borderline they should not cross,” he said.

Briefing journalists yesterday in his office on the activities of pro-Biafran demonstrators across cities in the South East and South South zones, the GOC stressed that as a reminder, the Nigerian Army would like to send an unequivocal warning to all and sundry, more especially to “all those threatening and agitating for the dismemberment of the country, committing treasonable felony and arson, as well as wanton destruction of lives and property, that once deployed, the Nigerian Army shall apply the Rules of Engagement (RoE) to the letter in order for peace to prevail.”

However, in a bid to douse the anxiety and end the demonstrations in the South East, occasioned by MASSOB and the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), the Forum of South East Governors yesterday called for an expanded meeting of stakeholders in the zone before reaching a decision.

The emergency meeting, which is in furtherance of the forum’s meeting yesterday in Enugu, is scheduled for on Sunday, November 22, same place. Expected at the meeting are National Assembly members, ministers and other invited stakeholders from the zone.

At the end of the rescheduled meeting at the Enugu State Government House, the governors also called on “MASSOB and IPOB to continue to tow the line of peace as this is the only way to ensure economic development of the zone.”

In what is regarded as its first meeting in Enugu in the new dispensation, the governors expressed concern on the state of the roads in the zone and security.

The meeting, chaired by the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, in its three-point communique read by the governor, resolved to “appoint a high level economic advisory committee to harness the economic potential of the people of the South East working together.

The acting GOC said the recent increase in the pro-Biafra agitations in some parts of the South East and South South zones of the country by the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other similar groups was becoming worrisome.

“In cities like Aba, Port Harcourt, Onitsha, Abakaliki and Enugu among others, cases of outright lawlessness, threat to lives and properties have been recorded during demonstrations and protests by these groups,” he said.

In a related development, there are indications that the battle to secure the release of the leader of IPOB Nnamdi Kanu has entered a new phase as the group’s directors world wide have engaged the services of renowned lawyers to tackle the Federal Government.

By court records, Kanu has a return date of November 18, 2015 for the Department of State Services (DSS) to show cause why it should not be charged for contempt.

In a statement by MASSOB’s National Director of Information, Comrade Uchenna Madu, in Abakaliki, the group noted that the President can never openly agree to anything that will affect the oneness of ‘his Nigeria,’ adding that the people of Eastern region will decide that.

According to Madu, Buhari should not bother himself about ethnic nationalities, who have decided to leave Nigeria, as it is the people of Eastern region that will decide that.

His words: “Buhari should not bother himself about ethnic nationalities who have decided to leave Nigeria, even his people. The Arewas are earnestly willing to opt out because Nigeria, in the real existence, favours no ethnicity but only the cabals, politicians and high profile personalities

“Biafranism is deeply rooted in the consciousness of every Igbo man and major ethnic groups in the South South. The Biafra referendum that will be conducted by the United Nations (UN) will testify to our popularity and acceptance by Biafrans.”

On the Nigerian Army’s decision to hit Biafra protesters, Madu said: “The Military should not heat up the polity, your threat is very wrong signal to Nigeria because the current Biafra is heavily rooted outside Nigeria. We shall remain non-violent in our pursuit for Biafra,” he said.

The Guardian gathered that the decision to hire senior advocates and other reputable human rights lawyers overseas followed a letter by Kanu’s legal representative, Mr. Vincent Egechukwu Obette, in which he declared that “the coming week would be crucial in the struggle to free Kanu” as, according to him, the Federal Government plans to vary the charges against the self determination activist.

Part of the letter exclusively sighted by The Guardian read: “I am also writing to sound a note of warning that the coming week will be crucial in the legal struggle to protect, defend and secure the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu hence I request for collective support from all and sundry.

“I have had access to him twice amid difficulties; I compelled the Department of State Services (DSS) to allow him speak to his wife after her prolonged cries; I secured the surety and perfected his bail conditions; I took his family members to visit him in detention in Abuja; I have had series of meetings with the Embassies of the U.S., the Russia Federation, Spain, Israel and Britain who later visited him last week.”

While disclosing that he was at the moment working with Amnesty International “in documenting series of extra-judicial killings perpetrated by the Nigeria security agents in the last three weeks for transmission to the International Criminal Court (ICC), the legal representative stressed the need for expanded collaboration.

“The Guardian further gathered that peeved by international concern for the safety of Kanu and growing apprehensions about the human rights records of the present administration in U.S., the Federal Government was planning to slam treason charges on Kanu to justify his long detention without trial.

High-ranking security personnel confided in The Guardian that part of the reason for assigning the Foreign Affairs portfolio to a candidate from Southeast was to perforate the argument of persecution and ethnic vendetta against the Igbo so as to douse the anger of the international community.

“Government is not happy about the dust being raised by this IPOB protests in the international community. It is like some countries that felt outraged by Mr. President’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly about the Palestinian question are interested in ballooning the domestic matter into a diplomatic headache for the government,” the source added.

Alleged N25bn TSA Fraud: Get to root of the matter, CLO charges Senate

The Civil Liberties organization (CLO), on Tuesday, threw its weight behind the Senate-led by Bukola Saraki, to disregard blackmails and intimidation from any quarters, charging it to go on with its probe of the alleged rip-off of the nation in the Treasury Single Account (TSA) transfers.

Buhari and Saraki

In a statement by its Executive Director, Comrade Ibuchukwu Ezike, the CLO noted that Section 162 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) is crystal clear on TSA when it states that “the federation shall maintain a special account to be called the Federation Account into which all revenues collected by the government of the federation except the proceeds from the personal income tax of the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force, the ministry or department of government charged with foreign affairs and the residents of the FCT, Abuja.”

Ezike said: “It’s therefore, dumbfounding how the present administration came about the appointment of an electronic collection agent, System Specs, to handle the TSA transfers at 1 per cent commission, by which it is alleged to have earned well over N25 billion.

“Besides, assuming it were constitutional to appoint an e-collection, it has not been established that there was a transparent and competitive process towards the selection of the said e-collection agent.

“The CLO is, therefore, totally on the same page with the Senate on this matter. We support Senate’s call on the CBN to suspend such unconstitutional transactions. We also fully support the decision of the Senate to probe the entire matter and come out with the truth about the alleged fraud.”

Furthermore, the CLO Executive Director said “The CLO is disturbed by the news report that there were painstaking efforts by certain Senators to sabotage the patriotic motion by Senator Dino Melaye urging the Hallowed Chambers to fully investigate the corruption and bring the perpetrator(s) to book. We make bold to say that any Nigerian who is against this nationalistic move by the Senate to rid Nigeria of graft is not only against the APC change ideology but an enemy of Nigeria.

“We were very disturbed to read that the late commencement of plenary on that day, and eventual boycott of plenary by some Senators, was a fallout of the said Senators’ alleged inability to stop the day’s business or expunge such a critical motion from the Order Paper.

“Such ugly stories are the last things Nigerians expect to hear in this administration. We urge the Senate to not only probe the said TSA graft, but also beam its searchlights on its own members that allegedly tried to sabotage the motion seeking the investigation of the said scandal. It cannot not be imagined that Senators who are supposed to protect the people and the nation by their oversight function over the other arms of government from abuse of the law, due process and theft of public funds, tried to cover up such shady deals by unscrupulous politicians.

“This event justifies CLO’s insistence that the leadership of the legislature must always emerge independent of external influences and executive interference if we must move our country forward as a nation.

“Importantly, it is very pertinent to emphasise that Nigerians elected President Muhammadu Buhari in the hope that he would lead a government that would stamp out corruption from our body polity. The said over N25 billion TSA scandal at a time when Mr. President had announced to the whole world in India that Nigeria was “broke” is certainly not a good commentary on an administration supposedly founded on integrity and headed by this President. We are worried that despite all the shouts if this allegation is anything near the truth, it is still business as usual.

“Lastly, while we urge President Muhammadu Buhari to open his eyes wide (shine his eyes) concerning happenings around him and his administration because Nigerians will ultimately hold him responsible for any misdeeds by his government, CLO enjoins all well-meaning Nigerians, the media, opposition and the CSOs to remain extra-vigilant and actively watch over the conduct of public affairs by office holders to ensure absolute compliance with the law and due process.

“President Buhari alone cannot build a transparent, open, just, equitable, accountable and truly democratic Nigerian society but all Nigerians can,” affirmed the CLO.

Buhari receives report on arms contracts under Yar’Adua, Jonathan

★ Panel uncovers N644bn extra-budgetary expenditure
★Orders arrest of culprits

The Presidency yesterday said it had received an interim report of the investigative committee on arms procurement during the administrations of former Presidents Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan.

A statement by President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, made public the summary of the findings of the committee, which had past former top military chiefs as members.

Buhari had commissioned investigations into the purchase of arms in August, three months after he assumed office as President.

While the 13-man committee, which was inaugurated on August 31, 2015, is yet to complete its work, its interim report has unearthed several allegedly fraudulent financial transactions following which the president directed the relevant organisations to arrest and bring to book, all individuals who have been found complicit.

The committee wrote in its report: “As part of the findings, the committee has analysed interventions from some organisations that provided funds to the Office of the National Security Adviser, Defence Headquarters, Army Headquarters Naval Headquarters and Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, both in local and foreign currencies.

“So far, the total extra-budgetary interventions articulated by the committee is N643, 817,955,885.18 (Six Hundred and Forty-three Billion, Eight Hundred and Seventeen million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty Five Naira and Eighteen Kobo.)

“The foreign currency component is to the tune of $2,193,815,000.83 (Two Billion, One Hundred and Ninety-three million, Eight Hundred and Fifteen Thousand US Dollars and Eighty-three cents).

These amounts, according to the committee’s report, exclude grants from state governments and funds collected by the Department of State Security (DSS) and Police. It was observed that in spite of this huge financial intervention, very little was expended to support defence procurement.”

The committee also observed that of the 513 contracts awarded at $8,356,525,184.32; N2, 189,265,724,404.55 and €54,000.00, fifty-three (53) were failed contracts amounting to $2,378,939,066.27 and N13, 729,342,329.87 respectively.

It was noted that the amount of foreign currency spent on failed contracts was more than double the $1bn loan that the National Assembly approved for borrowing to fight the insurgency in the North East.

The committee also said it discovered that payments to the tune of N3, 850,000,000.00 (Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) were made to a single company without documented evidence of contractual agreements or fulfilment of tax obligations to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“Further findings revealed that between March 2012 and March 2015, fictitious and phantom contracts to the tune of N2, 219,188,609.50, $1,671,742,613.58 and €9,905,477.00” were awarded.

“ The contracts which were said to be for the purchase of four Alpha Jets, 12 helicopters, bombs and ammunition were not executed and the equipment were never supplied to the Nigerian Air Force, neither are they in its inventory.

“Even more disturbing was the discovery that out of these figures, 2 companies, were awarded contracts to the tune of N350, 000,000.00, $1,661,670,469.71 and €9,905,477.00 alone. This was without prejudice to the consistent non-performance of the companies in the previous contracts awarded.”

Additionally, it was discovered that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was directed to transfer the sum of $132,050,486.97 and €9,905,473.55 to the accounts of Societe D’equipmente Internationaux in West Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America for un-ascertained purposes, without any contract documents to explain the transactions.”

40 per cent of 2016 budget may go to capital projects

* Electricity, roads, rail top agenda • FG banks on TSA to deliver safety nets
* Begins conditional cash transfer next year

THREAT of recession is pushing the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to plan massive infrastructural and social investment spending, The Guardian has learnt .

THREAT of recession is pushing the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to plan massive infrastructural and social investment spending, The Guardian has learnt .

On Monday night, the Presidency hinted of plans to spend not less than 40 per cent of the 2016 budget on capital projects, a move which one of the sources described as ‘unprecedented in the nation’s budgetary history.’

Also top on the agenda of the Buhari administration is to mobilise substantial funds within and outside government to fund the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT).

CCT programmes aim to reduce poverty by making welfare programmes conditional upon the receivers’ actions, meaning that the government (or a charity) only transfers the money to persons who meet certain criteria.

Government also plans to make significant savings from leakages and fraud, which, according to one of the sources, “have marred government spending in the past.”

No doubt, reports about government’s plan to spend up to N8 trillion in 2016 have continued to dominate the media space without any of the presidential officials confirming it. Yet, it is clear that the Buhari presidency has decided to raise such huge funds to build critical infrastructure as rail, roads and power, while also commencing in 2016 some of the promises of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for a Conditional Cash Transfer — including perhaps the N5,000 welfare package for the unemployed (youths) — and school feeding on a national scale.

Going by the yet-to-be-confirmed report on an N8 trillion budget estimate in 2016, therefore, it would appear that the Federal Government is ready to spend up to N3 trillion on roads, rail infrasture as well as on other safety nets.

Sources within the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) confirmed that the saving from the new implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) is working and is projected to bring in hundreds of billions of naira for the 2016 budget.

Specifically, some members of the newly inaugurated Federal Executive Council, have started holding several planning meetings with the Vice President on finalising the budgetary estimates and making a proposal ready for consideration of the Federal Executive Council on President Buhari’s directve.

The Guardian was told that the president is determined to ensure that every available resource of the Federal Government is applied to “funding a very ambitious budget just to bring economic succour to the Nigerian people in a way that has not been done for a long time now in the area of public infrastructure and social safety nets for the very poor people, many of whom came out to support his election earlier this year.”

It was disclosed that even before the new ministers were sworn in last week, the presidency had been holding meetings with top civil servants and CBN officials on how to fund to CCT. A template was said to have been decided which the FEC will be considering soon for final approval before going to the National Assembly for appropriation.

According to the template, couple million Nigerians are likely to benefit from the CCT in 2016, while the Buhari presidency is planning to ensure that within the next four budgets the lives of tens of million Nigerians or thereabout would have been touched by the CCT.

Part of the plan for infrastructure is the $25 billion, which the Vice President has spoken about publicly severally. The fund, according to informed government sources, would include contributions from the budget and also from both local and international investors. Already there are positive responses from foreign investors to contribute to the fund as there would be opportunities for the investors to bring their business ideas and project proposals. Indeed a source said the government gets a new offer regularly to be part of the fund from all kinds of international financiers and investors.

On the funding side, it is believed that the Buhari presidency from day one has been working with revenue generating agencies on how to radically raise internal revenue, especially with dropping oil prices, cutting expenses and overheads, and also raising funds locally and internationally from creditors considering that the nation’s debt to GDP ratio is still within international levels.

According to official sources, the nomination of Mr. Babatunde Fowler as FIRS Chairman, is a reflection of the presidency’s plan to raise revenue significantly as both individuals have presided over state governments’ efforts to raise revenue substantially.

While there was a recent resolution defeated on the Senate floor that the Federal Government should commence immediate implementation of the CCT, some of the new ministers have confirmed that diligent plans are being considered to start the implementation of the programme in the 2016 budget.

When asked to confirm if the CCT would be part of the 2016 budget, Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande, simply said “yes, there are plans to start the CCT next year, but you have to wait until a final budget estimate, which should be ready soon.”

How PDP, Wada Dazzled Supporters in Okene

Onyebuchi Ezigbo writes that the success of the Peoples Democratic Party’s recent campaign at Okene, Kogi State, was a major boost to the re-election bid of Governor Idris Wada

For the residents of the sprawling ancient commercial town of Okene, Saturday, the last day of October would perhaps go down in history as a unique one. That day, the governor of the state, Capt. Idris Wada came to ask the people to give him another mandate to govern them for a second term and to enter a fresh bond of relationship with them.

There was an unusual excitement in the air that Saturday. As early as 8.am, people had started gathering at the campaign ground for the PDP flag-off campaign. Men, women, youths and children – no one wanted to be left out. The ancient city of Okene was decorated with PDP campaign posters and pictures of its candidates, Governor Idris Wada and his deputy, Yomi Awoniyi.

In the end, the people got the message that is very dear to their heart, a firm commitment from the state governor that he would ensure the peoples’ aspiration for power rotation is actualised. An obviously confident Wada told the cheering crowd that he would ensure the next governor of the state after him comes from one of the minority areas of the state.

For this singular promise, it seemed the people have heard what they needed to hear and what needed to re-elect him for a second term. Wada went further to say that his administration has fulfilled most of the promises made to them and is in the process of consolidating on the gains. Buoyed by the applause from the excited crowd, Wada said the party would break yet another ground as the first to actualise the aspiration of the people for power rotation.

“I made a promise on providing critical infrastructure for the people and we have delivered on it. Now, we are promising to ensure power rotation and I am sure that the PDP being a party of the people will not renege on that promise and will after the next four years ensure that the zone produced the next governor of the state. I assure the leadership of the party that they will not regret the ticket they have given to me”.

As if putting the icing on the cake, the Governor of Ondo State and chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko painted the Kogi Governor’s image in glowing terms and described him as a man of integrity and humility, which is the hallmark of quality leadership.

Mimiko, who spoke amidst cheers from the excited crowd, pledged the support of all the PDP governors to Wada in his quest for a second term in office.

Also addressing the people, immediate former governor of the state, Alhaji Idris Ibrahim said the party had always maintained a tradition of winning second terms for its governors, adding that this one will not be different. “Kogi state is for PDP and so shall it remain”.
Another chieftain of the party and former national chairman of the PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali urged the people of Kogi State not to trust someone who had stolen state funds during his stay in office but vote for Wada who had exhibited honesty in the management of state resources.

Speaking on behalf of the PDP national campaign team, Senator Ike Ekwerenmadu, urged the people of Kogi not to make the mistake of entrusting their destiny in the hands of the APC, which has shown that they cannot be trusted with power.

“First, the governor is very humble person and humility is a very positive virtue in politics. Wada is somebody, who is connected with his people and in spite of his attainment of power, has remained a grassroots man. Power belongs to the people, so I believe that attribute is a plus for him. The governor has also recorded some modest achievements which he can build upon if given the chance again.

“Of course, PDP has been on ground and Kogi is traditionally a PDP state. About 80 per cent of the state assembly is made up of PDP and it is those who voted for the assembly men that will be available to vote for the PDP as well. You also know that even in his senatorial district where the PDP was robbed, we have recovered one of the seats. PDP is on ground in Kogi State and there is no doubt that we are going win the governorship election come November 21.

He asked whether the people have received the N5000 allowance promised them by the APC administration and whether their lives have been impacted positively since the coming to power by the Buhari administration.

The Deputy Senate President admonished the people to make a wise choice between a man, who has proved that he can be trusted with the resources of the state without misusing it and someone who has a corruption allegation hanging on his neck.

“The APC candidate has no respect for the youths, no respect for women. He is arrogant and did not even show due regard for revered traditional rulers while he was in office”.

Acting National Chairman of PDP, Chief Uche Secondus while presenting Wada to his people urged them to vote massively for the party in the forthcoming governorship election so that there will be continuity of governance.

The rally which attracted many PDP leaders including, former governor of Benue, Gabriel Suswan, Gombe Governor, Ibrahim Dankwanbo, Delta Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa and all the members of the National Working Committee, no doubt boosted the chances of Wada to possibly clinch the votes from an area which political pundits believe would play the deciding role in the November 21 governorship poll.

Siasia confused over kidnapping of his mother

• NFF appeals for her release 
National U-23 team coach, Samson Siasia, is confused following the kidnapping of his 72 –year old mother, Mrs. Ogere Siasia, who was abducted by three men on motorbike in Odoni Village, Bayelsa State on Monday.

Coach Siasia is in The Gambia with the team on a ten-day training tour ahead of their qualifiers for Rio 2016 Olympics men’s football event, when the incident took place.

A distressed Siasia said his mother happened to be the only one at home in his village taking care of his father who is visually impaired.

Siasia said: “Right now I am confused. “From the story I got, three men on motorbike stormed my parents house in my village Odoni in Bayelsa State, shot sporadically into the air before taking my old mother away on a bike.

“What do they expect from me? I don’t have money, I am right now on national duty, and need all the time to concentrate on this very important national task, so I beg them to please release my mother so that I can concentrate on this task of qualifying the U-23 National Team for the men’s football event of the Rio Olympics.”

Coach Siasia confirmed that the incident has been reported to the police in Bayelsa State.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation has appealed passionately to the kidnappers to release the old woman.

On learning of the unfortunate incident yesterday morning, NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, was downcast.

“This is quite disturbing. We are just preparing for a crucial 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match, and the U-23 boys are already in The Gambia for a pre-Cup of Nations training camp. Why this?

“All we can do is to appeal to the kidnappers to free Samson Siasia’s aged mother. Samson is on a critical national assignment presently and the last he needs is this kind of distraction.”

IEA prescribes $630b oil, gas investment by 2040

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has prescribed yearly $630 billion in worldwide upstream oil and gas investment – the total amount the industry spent on average each year for the past five years to compensate for 14 declining production at existing fields and to keep future output flat at today’s levels.

The IEA, which made this disclosure in its World Energy Outlook 2015 executive summary, said that the short investment cycle of tight oil and its ability to respond quickly to price signals is changing the way that the oil market operates, but the intensity with which the tight oil resource is developed in the United States eventually pushes up costs.

It noted that a more prolonged period of lower oil prices cannot be ruled out. “We examine in a Low Oil Price Scenario what it would take for this to happen – and what it would mean for the entire energy sector if it did. The oil price in this scenario remains close to $50/bbl until the end of this decade, before rising gradually back to $85/bbl in 2040.

“This trajectory is based on assumptions of lower near-term growth in the global economy; a more stable Middle East and a lasting switch in OPEC production strategy in favour of securing a higher share of the oil market (as well as a price that defends the position of oil in the global energy mix); and more resilient non-OPEC supply, notably from US tight oil. With higher demand, led by the transport sector, pushing oil use up to 107 mbpd in 2040, the durability of this scenario depends on the ability and willingness of the large low-cost resource-holders to produce at much higher levels than in our central scenario. In the Low Oil Price Scenario, the Middle East’s share in the oil market ends up higher than at any time in the last forty years”, it added.

It stated that the plunge in oil prices has set in motion the forces that will lead the market to rebalance, via higher demand and lower growth in supply.

This, IEA noted, may take some time, as oil consumers are not reacting as quickly to changes in price as they have in the past. “Although the rise of tight oil has created scope for more short- term flexibility on the supply side, there is still a significant time lag in the response of most sources of production to a change in price.

“In the New Polices Scenario, demand initially grows at an average of 900 kb/d per year until 2020, but this subsequently slows, with global demand reaching 103.5 mb/d in 2040, up nearly 13 mb/d on 2014 levels. By 2040 OECD consumption has fallen by 11 mb/d but this is almost exactly cancelled out by the twin pillars of demand growth: India and China (up 6 mb/d and 5 mb/d respectively).

Elsewhere the Middle East sees oil demand climb by 3.5 mbpd, other non-OECD Asian countries by 2.7 mbpd, and Africa by 2.5 mbpd. The transport and petrochemicals sectors add 16.5 mbpd to 2040, offset only partially by slight reductions in the power sector and use in buildings. Oil demand for aviation grows faster than any other sector, with the industry’s goal of carbon-neutral growth post-2020 out of reach without offsets from other sectors”.

LASG to monitor churches, mosques preaching hate messages

The Lagos State Government has said it will start monitoring the activities of churches and mosques in the state to check the preaching of hate messages.

It said it would not condone religious intolerance, adding that those caught delivering hate sermons would be dealt with according to the law.

The Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdulhakeem Abdullateef, said this on Tuesday during a meeting with members of the Nigeria inter-Religious Council, at the state secretariat, Ikeja.

He said, “Henceforth, we will start to monitor mosques and churches and ensure that clerics do not engage in hate preaching capable of endangering people’s freedom.

“Our constitution recognises the rights of every citizen to express himself or herself in a way he or she believes. Also, everyone has the right to freedom of religion and conscience.”

The commissioner urged clerics to remove their external loudspeakers after use in order not to constitute a nuisance to their community.

“This is the time for advocacy; let everybody realise that they have the right and freedom to practice their religion, but you will be stopped from practising that religion if it creates mischief and under Section 45 of the constitution, the government is empowered to put a stop to your freedom when it endangers other people’s freedom.

“We are going to ensure that this advocacy is taken to the grass roots to let people know that we are not stopping them from practising their religion but the rights of others must be taken into consideration,” he added.

Also speaking at the meeting, the co-chairman of NIREC in Lagos, Dr. Saheed Timeyin, emphasised the need to prevent youths from having contact with religious extremists.

He advised the state government to include Peace Education in the curriculum of primary and secondary schoolchildren for them to imbibe tolerance.

N25bn TSA Fee: We Won’t Be Intimidated – Senate

The Senate yesterday said it will not succumb to any form of intimidation in the course of carrying out its investigative duties in general and the probe of the alleged N25 billion Treasury Single Account (TSA) fraud in particular.

Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, said this yesterday during plenary while reacting to a motion raised by Senator Dino Melaye over an alleged attempt to blackmail the Senate over the TSA probe.

Saraki said, “No amount of either blackmail or intimidation will stop us from doing the work we have to do. We have a responsibility here to ensure that there are no leakages in government funds, and if there are, we will call the attention of the public and do whatever it takes to salvage the situation; it is our responsibility.

“The fact about the TSA will come out and everybody will have opportunity before the committee to state the fact. The facts will speak for themselves,” he said.

The Senate president said rather than be intimidated, the chamber will inaugurate its standing committees to enable them to begin its oversight and investigative function fully.

In his motion of privilege, Melaye drew the attention of the senators to a newspaper article which queried the Senate’s motive for the probe and said it was accusing them of working against President Muhammadu Buhari’s effort to implement TSA.

While reiterating the resolve of the Senate to work with President Buhari in the fight against corruption, Melaye recalled that it was the assembly’s stand on the alleged TSA fraud that led SystemSpecs to refund the one per cent it collected from mopped up funds to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“The writer said we are against the change agenda of Mr President because we raised the abnormality going on with the implementation of the TSA. We did not at any time in this hallowed Chamber implicate President Muhammadu Buhari of being involved in TSA fraud.

“We will not stop carrying out our legislative duties for fear of being blackmailed. The motion moved last week had two prayers.

“The first thing we did was to thank Mr President and commend him for the implementation of the TSA, and for anyone to say the Senate is fighting Mr President is myopic, parochial and unacceptable. I have a letter here that I am going to lay with this paper, written by the director, Banking and Payment of CBN to the managing director of SystemSpecs.

“The CBN categorically stated that they should remit the one per cent that they collected. I also have a letter here by the managing director of that company to the Accountant General of the Federation and the governor of CBN that have completely buttressed and elicited our decision last week.

“So, for people to blackmail us is irresponsible. It is not acceptable to me and the Senate.

“Never would we allow blackmail and political and economic bigot to destroy the people. We are for the people and we will stand in defending public interest,”he said.

INEC recruits 13,000 workers

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said that only the people of Kogi State will determine who their next governor will be and no one else.

Addressing a stakeholders’ forum in Lokoja on Tuesday, the INEC chairman said he was determined to build and improve on the success of his predecessor, Prof. Attahiru Jega, by making Kogi State election the best ever conducted in the country.

Yakubu said INEC had recruited and trained 13,000 supervisory and electoral officials to man the 3,000 polling units across the state.

The INEC chairman also said all card readers to be used had been tested, configured and confirmed to be fit for use during the election, adding that only those with permanent voters cards would be eligible to vote.

Yakubu said that 11 resident electoral commissioners from other states had been mobilsed to see to the smooth conduct of the election.

Marketers blame CBN as fuel scarcity worsens

The scarcity of petrol in Abuja, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Nasarawa and Kaduna states, among others, is growing worse by the day, as hundreds of motorists spent several hours in queues at filling stations on Monday in a bid to get the product.

Some marketers of petroleum products told one of our correspondents on Monday that the Central Bank of Nigeria had refused to honour the Sovereign Debt Notes obtained by them from the Debt Management Office for the settlement of the N413bn subsidy arrears by the Federal Government.

The CBN’s inaction, according to two marketers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, is as a result of the delay by the National Assembly to approve of the payment of the N413bn subsidy debt.

The Minister of Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had last week said President Muhammadu Buhari was seeking the approval of the National Assembly to pay the money approved last week for the oil marketers.

The Executive Secretary, Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Olufemi Adewole, told one of our correspondents in a telephone interview on Monday that no marketer had received anything from the CBN as subsidy arrears.

He said the marketers were optimistic that the money would be paid, but stressed, “Even if the money is paid to us and the CBN does not provide the requisite foreign exchange, we are not going anywhere.”

Adewole also confirmed that the SDNs from the marketers were not being honoured, but declined to comment further.

However, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on Monday absolved itself from blame for the prolonged fuel scarcity in many parts of the country.

According to the corporation, the scarcity is not as a result of its inability to meet demand, saying it had products available to depots that were receiving supplies from its subsidiary, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company.

The national oil firm made available the daily dispatch report of petrol to filling stations across the country.

Prior to sending the report, the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, had told one of our correspondents that the firm had made it clear that there were enough products to keep the country wet for most part of this month.

He stated that the country was also expecting products before the end of November, adding that when they arrive, there would be enough petrol to last for additional days.

When asked to explain why there was still scarcity despite claims of product availability, Alegbe said, “I’m going to send you the daily supply to all the stations nationwide, I’ve asked that we should get the one for yesterday (Sunday) and we will send it to you.

“This is to let you know that we are fulfilling our own part of the bargain. So, if there is any case of fuel diversion observed by anybody, then we can go to town with that.”

On whether the scarcity was due to the non-payment of the N413bn subsidy claims to the marketers, he stated that it was the duty of the National Assembly to appropriate such funds.

“It is for the National Assembly to appropriate it. And this is because you cannot spend without appropriation by the National Assembly. The approval has been given by the President and that’s the situation,” Alegbe explained.

In the report on the dispatch of petrol to filling stations, the NNPC stated that 179 outlets received 7.18 million litres of the product from the Suleja Depot on November 14 and 15.

It stated that 59 filling stations got 2.47 million litres from the Kaduna Depot on both days, while 107 outlets received 4.93 million litres from the Kano Depot; six got 224,986 litres from the Minna Depot; and 60 others got 2.31 million litres from the Gusau Depot.

A total of 63 petrol stations under the Satellite Depot received 2.16 million litres; nine under the Ilorin Depot got 303,000 litres; three under the Ore Depot received 11,000 litres; 21 under the Ibadan Depot got 766,007 litres; 78 in the Gombe area received 3.66 million litres; while 30 in the Aba area received 917,970 litres of petrol.

Meanwhile, the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, on Monday in Kaduna asked the Federal Government to resolve the lingering fuel scarcity, which had crippled social and economic activities across the country before December.

He noted that should the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government fails to arrest the scarcity before next month, labour would be forced to take action in the interest of Nigerians.

Wabba did not, however, say what the organised labour would do if the government fails to address the problem before the time.

N1trn Food Importation Unsustainable – PMB

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday declared that the N1 trillion spent on importation of food is no longer sustainable as most of the food can be produced locally .

According to him, agriculture had always been the mainstay of the nation’s economy but was abandoned following the discovery of oil.

The president, who stated this at the launching of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme and the commencement of the dry season farming, disclosed that the falling oil prices had left Nigeria with no other option but to diversify.

The Anchor Borrower programme of the CBN is initiated to develop rice production in the country with Kebbi State as starting point and model. Buhari in Kebbi , provides a flat form for a tripartite collaboration between rice farmers ,rice millers as up -takers and commercial banks.

Under the programme,CBN provide loans to the farmers which will be accessed through commercial banks and rice processors such as LABANA ,UMZA , POPOLA foods will mop up the entire farmer production.

“The importance of agriculture in the economy cannot be over emphasised. Prior to the advent of oil, our country survived on agriculture production,” the president said.

He said that agricultural produce such as groundnuts, palm oil, cotton and rubber plantation used to be the mainstay of the economy.

President Buhari recalled that during this period, the economy of Nigeria was built on agricultural activities and the country’s gross domestic product grew steady adding that banks and investment companies were financed from farming surpluses.

Buhari lamented that the discovery of oil was expected to compliment the country’s agriculture productivity, however, this was not so, as oil was allowed to completely replace it.

He said; Our current trend at the international oil market had brought to fore the urgent need to diversify both the productive and revenue based of our economy and to conserve our foregoing reserve by limiting our appetite for importation of goods that we can easily produce locally,” .

He stressed that that the price of oil had plummeted in the international market which has a negative effect on the nation’s economy putting government at all levels at risk .

President Buhari reiterated that economic diversification is no longer an option for the country, it is the only way to economic momentum and the drive to prosperity.