CBN GOV: China to start importing from Nigeria

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has said the federal government is “talking with China” in order to be “importing some of its own items from Nigeria.”

According to Emefiele, this will help reduce the gulf in trading between the two countries. Speaking at a press conference at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC, on the last day of the 2016 World Bank/IMF spring meeting, he also said part of Nigeria’s deal with China is that Nigeria would become the Asian country’s trading hub in West Africa.

“China has appointed South Africa as its trading hub for Remnibi transactions in the Southern African region, has appointed Kenya as its trading hub for East and Central Africa. “And Nigeria, the mandate that we signed is for us to be appointed as the trading hub in the West African sub region.

 In all, we expect that it is going to be mutually beneficial. “We are talking to China so that it would also be importing some of its own items from Nigeria, so that the trading balance can be sort of reduced. “Will Nigeria benefit from this? I want to say categorically that Nigeria will from this. It’s less pressure on the dollar and consequently on our reserves, he said.”

 Emefiele, according to The Cable, added that the CBN could not continue with indeterminate adjustment (devaluation) of the currency, without taking necessary structural reforms. “For the first time, we are taking structural reforms seriously in the country. We’ve always talked about, oh, when you do an adjustment, follow it up with structural reforms.

 “But we are saying this time, we’ve done an adjustment and we are following it up with structural reform, to diversify the economy from depending on oil. “I’ve said it that we have seen people who are coming in to invest.

During the china trip, we saw people who said they can now come in instead of exporting those items into Nigeria, they can now bring those plants into Nigeria and begin to produce those things in Nigeria because our climate is good.

 “I repeat, what is the raw material for fertilizer? It is gas. We have it in large quantity; when you bring in the plant, you don’t need to import any raw material again. We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel; we just want people to show understanding,” the CBN governor said.

EFCC names Ekweremadu, Anti-corruption Ambassador

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, honoured the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, with a special title of “Anti-Corruption Ambassador” based on his support for the fight against graft.

The National Assembly Liason Officer, of the EFCC, Mr. Suleiman Bakari, according to a statement by the Special Adviser to the Deputy Senate President, Uche Anichukwu, stated this when he led a team of the anti-graft agency on a courtesy visit to Ekweremadu. Bakari said, “As an Anti-Corruption Ambassador, It is therefore Your Excellency, to on behalf of my Acting chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Mustafa Magu and the entire management and staff of the EFCC, decorate you as an Anti-Corruption Ambassador and formally present this frame, as a token of our appreciation to your person and office, and as a symbol of institutional partnership between the EFCC and the National Assembly.”

Bakari, appealed to the National Assembly to ensure adequate funding for the agency and advocated speedy passage of all the anti-corruption Bills before it. Ekweremadu called for the establishment of Special Anti-Corruption Courts to reduce the burden on regular courts and fast-track trial of corruption cases.

He explained that setting up Special Courts, was one of the surest ways to help the fight against corruption, as it would ensure speedy adjudication of corruption cases. He said, “I have been an advocate of special courts for the trial of corruption cases and I believe that other countries, who have enacted laws establishing such, are not fools because there are benefits to be derived therefrom. “The idea is to expedite trial to make sure that those who are involved in corruption matters will have their day in court. “When we have special courts, just as we have the National Industrial Court, such courts will do better than they are doing now.

The establishment of special courts is not just something that will be done by an Act of the National Assembly. “We have to amend the constitution to bring it about under section 6, for the purpose of trying corruption cases.” Ekweremadu advocated value reorientation of Nigerians at all levels, with a view to returning to the good old days, and also cautioned the EFCC to ensure that in fighting corruption, it must respect the rule of law and ensure that the provisions of the constitution regarding fair hearing and treatment of an accused are also respected.

He commended the EFCC for decorating him as an Anti-Corruption Ambassador, and assured them that he would live up to the trust reposed in him. He further said that the National Assembly would do everything within its powers to ensure that the Bills before it, aimed at strengthening the fight against corruption, got speedy attention.

SHOCKING : Ikpeazu borrowed 24 billion in 11 months

UMUAHIA— GOVERNOR Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has borrowed a total of N24 billion since he assumed office 11 months ago.

 This was made up of a N14.1 billion bail-out fund and another N10 billion which government sources said was for infrastructural development. Meanwhile, the Abia State Government has said that its debt profile was not up to N78 billion as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, which also placed the state as the 5th highest indebted states in the country.

The state Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Obinna Oriaku, disclosed this while reacting to the statistics released by NBS insisting that the figures given by the Bureau were inaccurate. According to him, the state government has engaged a team of consultants, who are currently working to reconcile the financial position of the state. “Well, I am yet to see the document.

I totally disagreed with the figures they are mentioning and our rating. If I heard you right, you mentioned N78billion, it is totally unacceptable and I doubt where they got that from. “Though government is a continuum, from the period we took over, I want to believe that these figures are wrong.

 For what we got as bailout was N14.1billion, what we got of course was uniform to every state. What we got from the excess crude was N10 billion which makes a total of N24 billion. “This is the major make up of our debt, then of course, this does not exclude other little debts by way of foreign loans incurred by the last administration or during the period we were at the old Imo State.

“As I talk to you, we have engaged a team of consultants that are working on reconciling those figures with the DMO and they have made substantial progress.Any moment from now, we will be engaging the DMO based on the deductions from the Federal Allocation Account. “I strongly believe that at the end of the engagement, we will have some more funds that will be rededicated to us.

 We have fully extinguished those foreign loans. If I am looking at that figure, it is totally unacceptable, however, like I told you, I am yet to see the document then we will know the make-up” Oriaku said.

Credit : Vanguard

Return Luxury Cars Or Face The Wrath Of Nigerians, NLC To Senators

The Nigeria Labour Congress has called on senators who benefited from a recent purchase of 108 brand new Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles by the Senate to immediately return same or face the wrath of the Nigerian people.

 The union described the purchase, coming at a time the country is enduring excruciating financial crisis, as a crime against the people. Reports said senators have started taking delivery of the new Sports Utility Vehicles, SUVs, since last week at the rate of N35.1 million per unit.

In a statement by the NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, on Monday, Labour said it was “morally despicable and shameful” that the lawmakers embarked on such acquisition when they were supposed to occupy themselves with issues that would benefit the people.

“We consider appalling, insensitive and greedy the decision of the Senate to acquire 108 Toyota Land Cruiser jeeps (one for each member less the Senate President) after collecting car “loans” in August last year for the same purpose,” Mr. Wabba said.

 “It is equally morally despicable and shameful that they are doing this after publicly admitting that the standing committees of the Senate are unable to perform their statutory functions due to paucity of funds.” Mr. Wabba said the prices of the vehicles were grossly inflated and demanded that the lawmakers explain where they sourced the funds since the 2016 Appropriation Bill had not been signed into law.

 Credit: PremiumTimes

Dasukigate: PDP scribe, Oladipo denies collecting money from ex-NSA, begs VP to exempt him from …

The National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Professor Wale Oladipo, has refuted reports that he received money from the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col Sambo Dasuki,(rtd).

 In a statement to reporters at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja, Oladipo also denied seeking soft landing with the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo by promising to return the N75m he received from Dasuki so as to prevent prosecution.

An online newspaper had reported that Oladipo allegedly wrote a letter to the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, seeking exemption from prosecution with a promise to refund the alleged N75 million he received from Dasuki which was part of funds meant for the procurement of arms for the military.

 Stressing that the report was meant to tarnish his image, the PDP scribe, however, admitted that the few monetary transactions he handled were within the ambit of his official responsibilities as the National Secretary of the party, adding that, “at no point did he collect money from Colonel Dasuki or any other government official. He said, “Before and after the elections, I have no financial dealings with the Office of the National Security Adviser or any other government official.

“The report is clearly politically motivated. I affirm that all my actions and communications are motivated by highest ideals of patriotism, transparency and commitment to national reformation, he declared.”

U.S. Agrees To Give Nigeria $480m Abacha Family Loot

United States has agreed to repatriate to Nigeria about $480million believed to have been stolen by the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha and his family. But the conditions for the repatriation of the cash and other details are being worked out, The Nation has learnt.

Also, it was learnt that the Department of Justice in the United States now has a Kleptocracy Unit, which will assist to track looted funds and money laundered by public officials from Nigeria and other nations. The planned repatriation is the outcome of the recent meeting between the Department of Justice and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) and the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu.

A source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said: “This is the largest loot ever traced to a former Nigerian public officer in the U.S. “The DOJ, the AGF and the EFCC have concluded all the talks; we are in the process of repatriation of the $480million. “Although there are interventions from private lawyers, the DOJ prefers a government-to-government deal.
“ I can tell you that the funds will soon be repatriated. If there is anything left, it has to do with the conditions which the US will attach to the utilisation of the funds. “The US is likely to advise on specific areas to spend the funds on and the project monitoring mechanisms. It does not want the cash re-looted.” In the source’s view, there is no hiding place for Nigerian treasury looters in the United States anymore.

 “The Federal Government and the U.S. on January 14, 2003 signed the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the two nations. So, no corrupt public officers from Nigeria can hide in the US. “At the session with AGF and the EFCC boss, they told the Nigerian team that the DOJ now has Kleptocracy Unit which is closing tabs on Political Office Holders and other public officers in this country and many other nations.” The Department of Justice of the United States had in the last few years initiated forfeiture proceedings against the Abachas.

The proceedings made it possible for the Abacha family and its associates to forfeit over $550million and £95,910 in 10 accounts and six investment portfolios linked to them in France, Britain, British Virgin Islands and the United States. The Criminal Division of the Office of International Affairs of the US Department of Justice, in a letter to the Federal Government, identified the accounts where Abacha loot was hidden.

The highlights are as follows: Doraville Properties Corporation – $287 million in Account Number 80020796 located at Deutsche Bank International Limited in the Bailiwick of Jersey; HSBC Fund Administration (Jersey) – $12 million in account number S-104460 in the Bailiwick of Jersey; and Rayville International, S. A – $1 million in account number 223405880IUSD at Banque SBA in Paris, France.

Others are Standard Alliance Financial Services Limited – $144 million in account 223406510PUSD at Banque SBA in Paris; Mecosta Securities – $21.7 million in accounts 10030688 and 100138409 at Standard Bank in the United Kingdom; and HSBC Bank Plc – $1.6 million in account number 38175076.

Also listed are

 Blue Holding (1) Pte Ltd/ Ridley Group Limited – £6,806,900;
 Blue Holding (2) Pte. Ltd/ Ridley Group Limited – £21,846,983;
Blue Holding (1) Pte. Ltd/ Ridley Group Limited – £10,293,343.58;
 Blue Holding (2) Pte. Ltd/Ridley Group Limited – £56,962,996.26

 It was learnt that the Abacha family had pledged to cooperate with the Federal Government. But the EFCC is still probing the whereabouts of £22.5m (N6.18billion) loot which the late Gen. Abacha allegedly stashed away on the Island of Jersey. No fewer than three prominent Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) have been quizzed by the EFCC on the whereabouts of the records of the recovered £22.5m (N6.18billion).

According to records, the late Head of State allegedly stashed the funds through a Lebanese called Bhojwani. But when the Office of the AGF was alerted by a whistle-blower, the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan opened discussions with the Attorney-General of the Island of Jersey.
“The AG of the Island of Jersey cooperated fully with the government, leading to the repatriation of the £22.5m. EFCC is still searching for the records from those involved.

A top EFCC source said last night: “We have not closed investigation into the whereabouts of this money.”

Source: The Nation

APC to Sue National Assembly Over 2016 Budget of Controversy

Abuja — The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it would avail itself of all possible legal options for a clear interpretation of the role of the National Assembly in the passage of the nation's budget.

 The party which expressed displeasure with the lawmakers' handling of the 2016 Budget, accused the national assembly of going beyond her brief by unnecessarily tinkering with the budget when its constitutional duty was mainly supervisory.

In lashing at the lawmakers, the party particularly expressed disappointment at the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Danjuma Goje and his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin for "directly supervising and even actively abetting such debauchery."

The party's position was contained in a statement signed by its National Vice Chairman (South-South) Prince Hilliard Eta and made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday.

It described the deletion of Lagos-Calabar rail track from the 2016 Budget by the National Assembly as a display of depraved indifference to the welfare of Nigerians.

"The arbitrary removal of the Lagos - Calabar rail track by the National Assembly from the 2016 budget is a display of depraved indifference to the welfare of Nigerians. The deletion is not just arbitrary; it is a big disservice to the people of Nigeria, particularly the South South zone which the proposed railway track would have traversed.

 "Also, the total rehabilitation of the collapsed and terrible Calabar - Odukpani -Itu - Ikot Ekpene federal highway which was allotted N6bn by the federal government in the budget was doctored and almost N5bn removed and re-allocated to a non-existent project in the constituency of the Chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriation Committee, Abdulmumin Jibrin, in Kano state.

 "By these two acts, the Senate and House of Representatives displayed the astonishing contempt in which they hold Nigerians. The National Assembly exists to ensure that Nigerians get the best from their government using the instrument of purposeful legislation but the 8th Assembly by this budget padding debacle has not only brought itself to ridicule, it has also proved itself unworthy of the trust and confidence of Nigerians", the party held.

 While demanding that the budget be reverted, the APC, therefore, threatened that "we shall approach the courts of the land for a clear interpretation of the role of the National Assembly in the passing of the National Budget as it is evident that it overstepped its bounds by unnecessarily tinkering with the budget when its constitutional duty is mainly supervisory."

Credit: Vanguard

Buhari Didn’t Sign Any Loan Deal With China – Presidency

The Presidency on Saturday said President Muhammadu Buhari did not sign any loan deal with the Peoples Republic of China during his just-concluded one-week working visit to the country.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, gave the clarification in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH.

Ahead of Buhari’s trip which started last Sunday, there were media reports that he would sign a $2bn loan deal with China during the visit as the Federal Government sought funds to finance the over N2tn budget deficit.

CREDIT: PUNCH

Vice President is not happy with Buhari for slashing his salary by 50 percent

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has on Thursday, April 14, allegedly expressed regret for allowing President Muhammadu Buhari, to slash his salary by 50 percent, thereby hindering his financial capacity to donate generously to the mothers of the Chibok girls. Osinbajo, said that himself and Buhari are on half salaries, adding that the president was not given to frivolity and extravagancy.

 He made the pronouncement at the public presentation of a book, The Essential of Beauty Therapy, written by the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, at the Old Conference Hall, State House, Abuja. The public presentation of the book came on the day when the nation was observing the two years anniversary of the abduction of over 200 school girls from Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram insurgents.

Speaking on Buhari’s non-compromising principles on financial matters, Osinbajo who was the special guest of honour at the occasion, in place of the President, told the audience that he could not be expected to donate much to the launching of the book, because he was on half salary “The president and I are on half salaries. The president is very strict on money issues. So, don’t expect me to make a large donation,” he said. Recall, that Buhari and Osibanjo had on July 20, 2015 slashed their salaries by 50 percent.

 Also speaking, Osinbajo expressed concern that the issue of girl-child education was still a concern in the 21st century. “Girl-child education is still an issue, girls not having the opportunity to go to school. If the wife of the president didn’t have the opportunity to go to school, she wouldn’t have had the opportunity to reach others,” he said.

The president’s wife said her decision to present the book on the second anniversary of Chibok abduction was to contribute to the support of victims of insurgency, particularly mothers and children. “It is on this note, l’m dedicating this event and the proceeds from the sales of the books to be used to empower the mothers of the Chibok girls,” she said.

“Others are Buni Yadi boys murdered in their sleep in 2014 as well as support the malnourished children in the different Internally Displaced Persons camps and other children in such situation across the country. “As a mother, my heart is always with the parents of these children; I bear their pains and belief that this is one of the efforts to console them.

“The parents of these children brought to this event to witness this event are an indication that at individual level a lot can be done to alleviate their hardship.” She expressed hope that the book as a training manual would be part of the curriculum of the new National Board for Technical Education, Vocational Enterprise Institute and National Institute Diploma on Cosmetology in beauty therapy in Nigeria. “My natural passion for beauty and fashion developed the unique interest to work, teach and mentor young ones on beauty and fashion.

 “In my over 10 years in beauty industry, l have trained, mentored and empowered hundreds of young Nigerians in different areas such as facial, skin and body care.” She said.

Gunmen Attack Ikpeazu’s convoy in Aba

 ABA—The increasing state of insecurity in Aba, Abia State, took a new dimension on Wednesday night when Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s convoy was attacked in an encounter with armed robbers, who were robbing commuters along Aba-Owerri Road.

This is even as a yet-to-be identified victim was kidnapped at Immaculate Junction, while another is being feared dead after he was hit by stray bullet. Vanguard gathered that the incident took place near Immaculate Junction along the ever busy Aba-Owerri Road, while the governor was coming back to Aba from Umuahia at 8p.m.

Though no life was lost, sources said that the security details attached to the governor fired sporadic shots, which scared the robbers away. Sources told Vanguard that the gunmen were robbing a suspected Lagos bound bus, when a pilot security van without siren and amber light approached the area.

On sighting the security vehicle, the gunmen were said to have opened fire without knowing that it was the governor’s convoy. According to a security operative in the city, who pleaded anonymity, “the robbers did not know that it was the governor. They thought that it could be the Army or police, but when they discovered it was the governor’s convoy with its full complement of security details, they took to their heels. “I do not think it was the governor that the hoodlums wanted to attack.

It is just that the governor’s convoy that was returning from work without the usual siren and the revolving amber light, ran into them.” Contacted, spokesman of Abia State Police Command, DSP Ezekiel Onyeke, confirmed the incident, but debunked reports that the gunmen attacked the governor’s convoy. Onyeke added that he was yet to be fully briefed by the Chief Security Officer to the governor over the incident.

Source : Vanguard

Jonathan's Government lacked the political will to save Nigeria's resources - - - Okonjo-Iweala

Former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday said that there was no political will to save Nigeria's resources under the Goodluck Jonathan administration. Okonjo-Iweala who said this while speaking on “inequality, growth and resilience,” at George Washington University, said Nigeria was able to save $22 billion under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, which saved the country in 2008, from global economic meltdown.

“We tried it in Nigeria, we put in an oil price based fiscal rule in 2004 and it worked very well. We saved $22 billion because the political will to do it was there. And when the 2008 /2009 crisis came, we were able to draw on those savings precisely to issue about a 5 per cent of GDP fiscal stimulus to the economy and we never had to come to the bank or the fund. This time around and this is the key now, you need not only to have the instrument but you also need the political will. In my second time as a finance minister, from 2011 to 2015, we had the instrument, we had the means, we had done it before, but zero political will. So we were not able to save when we should have. That is why you find that Nigeria is now in the situation it is in. Along with so many other countries.”she said.

We’ll Build Resilient Nigerian Cities – President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Shanghai said that his administration would give priority to the building and development of resilient and viable cities comparable with other developed cities across the globe. At separate meetings with the Mayor of the Chinese city of Shanghai, Mr Yang Xiong and the Director of Shanghai Free Trade Zone, Liu Fangzhou, President Buhari said that the Federal Government would give full support to Free Trade and Export Processing Zones in the country to spur rapid economic development.

The President, who visited the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, said Nigeria was prepared to learn how to make its cities more viable from those that have achieved development. “We have already identified the development of infrastructure which will bring industries that create jobs and help us to diversify the economy. “We are going to work hard to achieve these within the period we have in office. Nigerians will see progress and feel the impact,” the President said.

Commending the hardwork and incredible success story of the city of Shanghai, President Buhari said that the virtues of hard work were central to every human achievement and development. In his remarks, the Mayor of Shanghai expressed the willingness of several Chinese businesses to key into the vision of the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, for Africa by investing in Nigeria. Also speaking, the Director of the Free Trade Zone commended the effort of the Nigerian government towards the diversification of the economy and encouraged the country to focus on a favourable policy environment to encourage foreign investors.

FCT Election: PDP Loses Out As APC Wins 5 Seats

The All Progressives Congress showed superiority over its arch-rival, the Peoples Democratic Party as it emerged winners in Wednesday’s rerun elections in four Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The PDP, which was the dominant party at the councils, lost at all the six area councils where the election was eventually conducted. The Independent National Electoral Commission had earlier announced the result of two other area councils on Sunday, a day after the election was conducted.

The result of the election showed that the relatively unknown political party, the All Progressive Grand Alliance emerged winner in one of the area councils. Council where rerun elections were held were Abuja Municipal Area Council, Kuje, Abaji and Gwagwalada.

They commission had on Sunday declared elections in these councils as inconclusive. INEC said it declared the elections inconclusive as a result of violence, over voting and non-use of Smart Card Readers or accreditation of voters, and ordered a rerun in 39 polling units in 20 Registration Areas.

 In the result released on Thursday, INEC declared the APC candidate, Ibrahim Adamu Candido winner of AMAC with 27, 482 votes. Also in Kuje Area Council, Abdullahi Galadima of APC won with 15, 175 votes while Joseph Shazih won in Kwali Area Council with 15, 309 votes. The party’s candidates also won in Bwari and Abaji Area Councils. Credit: Punch

PHOTOS OF THE DAY : See how Nigerian politicians can humble themselves while seeking for votes

That moment when they need your votes.
They were ready to fry one basin of akara, Rotimi Ameachi was on hair platting campaign, Rochas Okorocha was roasting all the corns in Owerri.
 Almakura of Nasarrawa state was ready to leave his comfort bed and sleep on the haggard hostel beds of the poor students in the school which was Star studded with Bed bugs. Today non of them is seen in the street doing all this again.

 See some photos below:-

Sahara Reporters Publisher fires shot at Senate President. Accuse him...

The publisher of Sahara Reporters has accused Nigeria’s Senate President, Bukola Saraki, for cloning his newspaper and stealing his brand identities to create fake versions of his website.

Sahara Reporters, a U.S.-based news website, with special focus on Nigeria, said it believed the Nigerian senate president, who is facing charges of false asset declaration, is masterminding the proliferation of imitation of cloned versions of the newspaper aimed at circulating lies to the public while disguising as Sahara Reporters.

The publisher, Omoyele Sowore, said his team had so far blocked three fake websites since January 2015. He said the faking websites were blocked from Google, Web4Africa and Twitter. “The only one left is a Facebook account,” Mr. Sowore said. The outstanding fake account is named Sahara Reporters Rescue.

Checks by PREMIUM TIMES showed that it had assumed the branding features of the original Sahara Reporters with insignificant modifications. Mr. Sowore said Sahara Reporter Rescue had succeeded in deceiving about 30 thousand people while circulating contents praising and defending Mr. Saraki.

 Its bio is an exact copy-and-paste version of the original Sahara Reporters. Foramfera “I know Saraki is directly behind it,” Mr. Sowore said, explaining that he was only concerned the public might mistake the page for the original Sahara Reporters.

Identity theft is an emerging fraud in the Nigerian cyberspace, mainly used by politicians to clone digital identities of critical media house with the aim of using the clone to pass down propagandist inform, faking endorsement. It is a form of cyber attack that utilizes deception, rather than the brute force of DDoS attacks. PREMIUM TIMES was a victim of similar attacks. The latest is by individuals linked to the current governor of River State, Nyesom Wike.

While many other digital businesses treat identity theft with urgency and seriousness, Facebook is notorious for being slow in checking the crime. Facebook’s clumsy reporting process and policy make fighting clones and replicas almost impossible for victims. The suspected pirate  is Osinuga Oriola Mcleish, a blogger and member of the Kwara All Progressives Congress.

Although Mr. Osinuga denies the crime, investigations by PREMIUM TIMES traced his digital footprints on the downed websites and the fake Sahara Reporters Facebook Page. “I don’t know anything about it,” Mr. Osinuga said before hanging up during an interview. Mr. Saraki’s new media team also denied involvement in the crime. “Sahara Reporters is not that important for me to waste my time on,” Bankole Omishore, a new media aide to the Senate President told PREMIUM TIMES. “We no longer monitor Sahara Reporters.” Mr. Omishore said Sahara Reporters had been critical of his boss, claiming the newspaper was hired to promote propaganda to sack Mr. Saraki.

The publisher of Sahara Reporters denies any personal grievances with the senate president, saying , “I only have beef with thieves.” “I’ve been covering Saraki since 2005 with the same tenacity I covered (James) Ibori,” he said. “I know very well he (Saraki) has stolen a lot of money and should not be Nigeria’s number three man.”

Source : Premium Times

Borrowing to pay salaries is the height of wickedness- Ben Murray-Bruce

The Twitter & Commonsense senator shared this on his Facebook wall

No Time Frame For Chibok Girls Return – Osinbajo

Yemi Osinbajo on Chibok girlsThe Nigerian government says it cannot give a time frame for the return of the over 219 school girls abducted from a government secondary school in Chibok, Borno State in 2014.

 It, however, assured Nigerians that everything needed to be done to ensure the release of the girls was being done. Vice President Yemi Osibajo gave the assurance on Wednesday while addressing a group of civil society organisations and the diplomats at a forum on vulnerable people and conflict situation in Nigeria.

 Be Patient

 Professor Osinbajo stressed that in the heart of the government’s war on terror was the safe return of the abducted girls, contrary to popular insinuations that it was half-hearted in its approach.

 He urged Nigerians to guard their utterances, be patient and trust the security agencies which he said were working hard to ensure the liberation of all Nigeria’s territory and also free all hostages including the girls.

The Vice President also cautioned that it would be counter-productive to put a time frame to the return of the girls abducted from their schools dormitory on April 14, 2014. He reiterated that the government was working to ensure their safe return in the shortest possible time.

Giving the government’s position on the plight of those who have become displaced and vulnerable, the Vice President urged civil rights advocates to also begin to hold states and local governments’ authorities more accountable because the Federal Government alone could not tackle socio-economic needs of the people.

The event was organised by the office of the National Security Adviser to mark the second year anniversary of the abduction of over 200 school girls in Chibok, Borno State. A victim of Boko Haram insurgency in the north-east, Fatima Salihu, could not hold her emotions back, as she recalls her experience in the hands of the terrorists and what life has become for her and many others like her since then.

Some members of some civil society groups, who had visited Chibok and Biu in Borno State to aid the displaced persons as a result of the insurgency, also shared their experiences.

They want the government to match its words with action, by taking immediate steps to ameliorate the immediate needs of the victims and put in place a long term plan for the rehabilitation of the displaced persons and ensure the speedy return of the abducted school girls. The participants at the event held on to their expectations and hopes that it would not be another talk shop.

 Child Suicide Bombers

 The girls’ abduction had triggered protests in different countries in 2014, with demonstrators demanding for more efforts from the government to rescue the girls. Activists have also stressed the need for greater protection of children in the north-east region of Nigeria just as the Boko Haram had at one time or the other used children as suicide bombers. On Monday, the United Nations Children’s Fund in a report said that one in every five “suicide bombers” used by Boko Haram in the past two years has been a child.

National ID Card To Replace Voters Card In 2019 Election – FG

THE Delta State coordinator of the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, Henrietta Okolo has said that if things go as planned, the NIMC identity card might be used in place of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, voter’s card in the 2019 general elections.

Giving the disclosure at the palace of the Orodje of Okpe during the visit to the monarch on Tuesday, the NIMC boss while harping on the efficacy of the card, also disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture has concluded plans to give loans and farming items to 300, 000 farmers in Delta State through its National Agricultural Payment Initiative, NAPI, in partnership with the commission.

According to her, though the federal government has not given nod for the use of the identity card for voting, the plan is to use the card which also serves as a Master Card, as the major means of identification for all Nigerians including for voting during elections.

 “For the agricultural scheme, we are looking at enrolling 300, 000 farmers in Delta State to benefit from this scheme. Though we are in the early stage of the scheme, Delta State is among 15 states in the country selected for the programme,” she stated. Earlier, the Orodje of Okpe, HRM Orhue 1, while applauding the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and NIMC for the support to farmers, promised to work with district heads in his kingdom to ensure that farmers register and benefit from the programme.

Supplementary Budget: Senate Asks Executive To Include Lagos-Calabar Rail Project

The Senate is asking the executive to include the disputed Lagos Calabar Rail project in a supplementary budget and forward it to the National Assembly.

 Briefing journalists in Abuja, Senate Spokesman Aliyu Abubakar said the Senate is ready and willing to consider a supplementary budget from the executive which would include the rail project.

There’s been a back and forth between the executive and the National Assembly over allegations that a 60 billion naira Lagos Calabar Rail Project was removed from the 2016 Budget. The Ministry of Budget And Planning had come out with its position on the controversies surrounding the 2016 budget.

 The ministry in a statement said the President is yet to take a position on the budget after receiving details from the National Assembly on April 7. On the controversial Calabar-Lagos rail project, the ministry confirmed that there were indeed some errors in the initial budget proposal sent to the National Assembly by the President in December. The statement, however, added that the errors were corrected, submitted and subsequently accepted by the relevant committees of the National Assembly.

 The statement read in part, “It must be emphasized that the two rail projects are part of those for which the President is currently negotiating funding with the Chinese government. “The 60 billion Naira provided in the budget for the Lagos – Kano and Calabar – Lagos rail lines, respectively, is counterpart funding, to support the Chinese financing for the projects.

“These projects are part of the strategic implementation plan of the government which was disclosed by the Minister of Budget and National Planning at The National Economic Council retreat in March 2016, in the presence of state governors.” The statement added that it was the corrected version that was defended by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and his team.

Source : Channels TV

Senate gives Buhari final warning over budget 2016

Lagos-Calabar rail

ABUJA—The Senate, yesterday, gave what it described as a final warning to the presidency on its dealings with the legislative branch of government, affirming that it would no longer tolerate the presidency blaming the legislature for its failures. The assertion which was a direct fallout from brickbats over the removal of the Calabar – Lagos rail project from the final budget, came as presidency officials, yesterday, affirmed that the rail project was in the budget but removed by the committees of Appropriation in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

 The Senate, last night, in a sternly worded statement urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the budget bill and not distract Nigerians from what it claimed were acts of blackmail on the part of the executive arm. The statement singled out Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi for blame, asking him to apologise for seeking to pitch one section of the country against the other and asked him to resign if he cannot show evidence of the inclusion of the projects in the original budget as presented by the president. Senate’s final warning The statement issued by Senate spokesman, Senator Abdullahi read in part: “While the executive is mandated to prepare and lay before the National Assembly a proposed budget detailing projects to be executed, it should be made clear that the responsibility and power of appropriation lie with the National Assembly.

 If the presidency expects us to return the budget proposal to them without any adjustments, then some people must be living in a different era and probably have not come to terms with democracy. “We make bold to say, however, that the said Lagos-Calabar rail project was not included in the budget proposal presented to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari, and we challenge anyone who has any evidence to the contrary to present such to Nigerians. “Since the beginning of the 2016 budget process, it is clear that the National Assembly has suffered all manners of falsehood, deliberate distortion of facts, and outright blackmail, deliberately aimed at poisoning the minds of the people against the institution of the National Assembly.

We have endured this with equanimity in the overall interest of Nigerians. Even when the original submission was surreptitiously swapped and we ended up having two versions of the budget, which was almost incomprehensible and heavily padded in a manner that betrays lack of coordination and gross incompetence, we refused to play to the gallery and instead helped the Executive to manage the hugely embarrassing situation it has brought upon itself; but enough is enough. “This latest antics of this particular minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, is reckless, uncalled for and dangerously divisive.

 Apart from setting the people of the southern part of the country against their northern compatriots, it potentially sets the people against their lawmakers from the concerned constituencies and sets the lawmakers against themselves. This manner of reprehensible mischief has no place in a democracy. We hereby demand from Mr. Amaechi a publicly tendered apology if he is not able to show evidence that the Lagos-Calabar rail project was included in the budget. Otherwise, he should resign forthwith. “Finally, by the provision of Section 81 (4) (a) and (b) of the constitution, the President is allowed to sign the budget and kick-start the implementation of the other areas that constitute over 90 per cent of the budget where there is agreement between both arms, even as we engage ourselves to resolve the contentious areas, if there were any.

 We, therefore, maintain that even these contrived discrepancies are not sufficient excuse not to sign the budget into law. “We, therefore, urge President Buhari to sign the 2016 budget without any further delay. For every additional day that the president withholds his assent from the bill, the hardship in the land, which is already becoming intolerable for the masses of our people gets even more complicated. Certainly, as primary representatives of the people, we shall not vacate our responsibility and watch the people continue to suffer unduly.”
 The statement followed an earlier press conference where the Senate spokesman also claimed ignorance of the presence of the projects in the budget presented by the president. House spokesman, Namdas at a press conference also, yesterday, accused Amaechi of bringing the Calabar – Lagos rail project to the National Assembly through the back door.

 According to him, the report that the project was removed, and its budget appropriated for the completion of the Lagos-Kano rail project was misleading and intended to set the Southern and Northern parts of the country against each other. Meanwhile, fresh insights into how political infighting in the All Progressives Congress, APC, and ego by senior officials of the National Assembly led to the extraction of the Lagos – Calabar rail project and other key infrastructure projects of the administration from budget 2016 have been unveiled.
 At the centre of the controversy, yesterday, were the chairmen of Senate and House of Representatives committees on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje and Abdulmumin Jibrin.

 The reports of the two committees on Land Transport, Vanguard learned, contained proposals for the Lagos – Calabar and Kaduna – Idu rail projects which were both removed by the committees of appropriation in both chambers. Vanguard is in possession of a text message purportedly sent to committee chairmen in the House of Representatives by Jibrin, asking them to defend whatever controversy could arise from the action in the media. President Muhammadu Buhari and Senate President Bukola Saraki Presidency officials were peeved by the fact that the legislature had seemingly removed the carpet from under President Muhammadu Buhari’s feet, given the fact that the action was done just as he was about leaving for China to negotiate foreign assistance necessary to fast-track the projects.
 Senate spokesman, Abdullahi Sabi and his House of Reps counterpart, Abdulrazak Namdas, yesterday, rebuffed assertions that the Calabar – Lagos rail project was removed, saying in separate fora to journalists that the item was not in the initial proposal submitted by the president.

 They also alleged that the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi only brought it to the attention of the legislators after the president’s presentation. Lagos-Calabar rail project in budget — Ashafa Meanwhile, the Senate Committee Chairman on Land Transportation, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, maintained that the railway project was accommodated in the budget but was surprised that it was removed.
 Senator Ashafa said: “I confirm that the Lagos to Calabar rail line was not in the original document that was presented to the National Assembly by the Executive. However, subsequently at the budget defence session before the Senate Committee on Land Transport, the Minister for Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, did inform the committee of the omission of the Lagos to Calabar rail modernisation project and indeed sent a supplementary copy of the ministry’s budget to the committee which contained the said project.

The Minister noted that the amount needed for the counterpart funding for both the Lagos to Kano and Lagos to Calabar rail modernisation projects was N120 billion, being N60 billion per project. “While the committee did not completely agree with all the changes made in the subsequent document, being fully aware of the critical importance of the rail sector to the development of our dear country, distinguished members of the Senate Committee on Land transport keyed into the laudable (Lagos to Calabar, rail modernisation) project and found ways of appropriating funds for the project without exceeding the envelope provided for the ministry, he said.
 Ashafa continued: “In so doing, the committee observed that the Lagos to Kano rail rehabilitation project had been allocated the sum of N52 billion as against the sum of N60 billion which the Hon. Minister requested as counterpart funding while no allocation whatsoever was made for the Lagos to Calabar rail line.
 “Hence, the sum of N54 billion that was discovered by the Senate Committee on Land Transport to be floating in the budget of the Ministry of Transportation as presented by the Executive was injected into augmenting the funds needed for counterpart funding of both projects (Lagos to Kano and Lagos to Calabar Rail modernisation), as at the time the committee defended its report before the senate committee on Appropriation.

 “The Lagos to Calabar rail modernisation project was, therefore, included in the Senate Committee on Land Transport’s recommendation to the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
 “With regard to the Idu to Kaduna rail completion, the Senate Committee on Land Transport did not interfere with what was provided for in the budget as sent by the executive, being approximately N18 billion hence I am equally surprised to read on the pages of the newspapers that the amount allocated to the said project was reduced by N8 billion. “While I would have preferred to wait till Tuesday, April 12, 2016 (today) when the National Assembly reconvenes in order to have the benefit of viewing the details of the budget that was conveyed to the executive as passed, I am compelled to place the facts in proper perspective as it relates to the activities of the Senate Committee on Land Transport.
“Without prejudice to the considerations and powers of the Senate Committee on Appropriations with regard to the appropriations process, the foregoing is the true reflection of what transpired at the committee level with respect to the Land Transport sector of the Ministry of Transport,”Ashafa said. Vanguard learned, yesterday, that besides geopolitical interests, the removal of the Lagos – Calabar rail project from Budget 2016 was done partly to spite Amaechi supposedly for distancing himself from his former colleagues in the Senate, notably senators Bukola Saraki and Danjuma Goje. “Amaechi was told by associates in the Senate that Goje was not happy with him and that he had teamed up with the Buhari people against his former colleagues in the Governors’ Forum,” a Presidency official conversant with the issue said.

 The source further revealed that on account of the information, Amaechi had to visit Goje to solicit his help on the passage of the budget proposals of the Ministry of Transportation. Amaechi and his key aides were part of the president’s delegation to China and efforts to reach his media assistant; Mr. Dave Iyofor were unsuccessful. A top presidency official stated that the Calabar-Lagos railway project alongside the Lagos – Kano rail project was included in the draft budget of the Ministry submitted to the Budget Office.
The official challenged the House of Representatives and the Senate to produce the report of their respective submissions to the NASS if they insist that the project was not included in the budget. The officer said: “When the budget was collated by the Budget Office, and copies sent back to the respective ministries for perusal, it was noticed that the Coastal Rail Project was erroneously omitted at the compilation stage, although the total amount did not change.
 “The Transportation Ministry immediately, through a memo, drew the attention of the Budget and National Planning Ministry to the omission and it was corrected in the amended version which the Minister took to the National Assembly and defended,” he said. He insisted that it was the amended copy that the team from Ministry defended before the National Assembly and not the one that had the error. Another presidency official who spoke to Vanguard also confirmed that the issue over the erroneous submission made was trashed out between the president and the National Assembly leadership.
The National Assembly leadership, the source said, asked the ministers to proceed to the committee levels to harmonise the differences between the initial submission and the corrected version, an issue that stoked the reports of a fake budget allegedly attributed to Senator Enang.

Vanguard learned that although members of the Appropriation Committee of the House of Representatives raised some issues about an assumed duplication of the project because both the Lagos – Kano and Calabar – Lagos had the same figure of N60bn each in the allocation, Amaechi explained that there were two different projects that would be funded through the assistance of the Chinese government. According to the ministry, the sum of N80bn was also provided in the same amended version for all other rail projects indicated.
The source said Amaechi even met with the Chairman of the Appropriation Committee in the Senate, Senator Danjuma Goje, who was his colleague as state governor, on the two strategic rail projects; and also with the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Transportation, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, and the projects were clearly explained after which they were appropriately reflected in the Senate Transportation Committee report to the Appropriation Committee. “That may be reason the Senate Committee Chairman on Appropriation has been quiet since the controversy started because he cannot claim ignorance of the issue.”

 The source challenged the Senate to produce the Transportation Committee report that was submitted.
The source also drew attention to the fact that the House of Representatives Appropriation Committee Chairman, Jibrin admitted that the Transport Ministry budget overshot by N54bn and queried if they were sincere, why the Ministry’s attention was never drawn to it during the several interactions they had with the National Assembly committees; but decided to distribute the funds to projects which were either not included anywhere in the budget nor provided for elsewhere. He also queried why the allocation for Kano Airport jumped from N60bn to the N92bn reflected in the details sent to the President. “Since Jibrin was referring people to the original budget, let him also show the people where either N60bn or N92bn was reflected in the original budget for the Lagos–Kano rail project?” he insisted.

 It was also noted that provisions were made elsewhere in the budget for the rehabilitation of major airports in the country and would not know why the legislators decided to take the money apparently meant for the coastal rail project to allocate for security and football fields, wondering what connection such projects had with the ministry of transportation. Meanwhile, a text message allegedly sent out by Jibrin to select committee chairmen to defend the extraction of the Calabar–Lagos rail project was, yesterday, in circulation.
 The text read in part: “To all Hon Chairmen and Dep Chairmen of Standing Committees: As you are aware, we have transmitted details of budget 2016. After consultation with the leadership of both Chambers, the reports of all standing Committees were sustained in the details. Though all items submitted by Committees were retained, you will see additional inputs that were necessary to be accommodated via little cuts. You are therefore enjoined to be prepared to justify reports both in media and elsewhere; in case, the executive arm disagrees. We are already justifying your reports, but you must join in doing so, especially in the media…”

 Source: Vanguard