Ekweremadu: Igboland Should Build Ranches, Ban Grazing Like Ekiti State

Igboland should build ranches, ban grazing like Ekiti - Ekweremadu


Deputy Senate president Ike Ekweremadu has urged South Eastern governors to pass a law banning open cattle grazing just like Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose did last week. This is in order to reduce "havoc" caused by herdsmen and farmers' clashes.

Ekweremadu made this known via his Media adviser, Uche Anichukwu, at the World Igbo Congress, holding in New York, the United States of America on Saturday 3 September 2016.

His words:
"Governments of various states in Igboland and indeed, other parts of the country, should immediately consider enacting legislations that would confine cattle-rearing to modern ranches as obtainable in developed societies.

"In fact, our governments could go a step further to invest in constructing and leasing out modern ranches.


"This will produce healthier animals, give better products, provide employment, added value to the farm products, and help in promoting peaceful co-existence as well as sifting armed bandits and terrorists from real farmers doing legitimate business."

Source: http://www.somtoo.com/2016/09/igbo-governors-should-build-ranches-ban.html

Abeokuta—Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola,SAN, yesterday advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to succumb to the pressure to relax his anti-corruption war. Bola-Ajibola Bola-Ajibola According to him, Nigeria will not make progress, if corruption is not taken to the cleaners. Ajibola, who gave the advice in an interview in his Abeokuta home, recalled telling the President after his inauguration that corruption would fight back, but pleaded with him not to give in to pressures. The retired Judge of the International Court of Justice wondered what manner of people Nigerians were if the same people that voted Buhari to solve their problems of corruption were so early getting tired when the work had only just begun. He said: “Fighting corruption is vital and it is going to come with many provocations and open show of ungratefulness by the same Nigerians you are working hard to save but you stand firm and not be deterred. That is the way to go. ‘’When I served as Attorney-General of the Federation for over six years, I did not take salaries, asking them to use my salaries as part of the fund to run the nation’s affairs. ‘’Despite all that, when I was nominated for election into the International Court of Justice, eminent Nigerians, lawyers of note (names withheld) travelled all the way from Nigeria to campaign against me that I should not be voted into the ICJ. “That is where I would like to advise President Buhari not to be deterred by seeming lack of appreciation of the good work he is doing and various acts of sabotage and pressures of corrupt people that caused the suffering of Nigerians currently. ‘’The success of the whole struggle is in his not succumbing and in his firmness. The people that are doing these to the government, who will always come out to criticize as if there is nothing good that the government has done or is doing, should not be the reason to allow the other 170 million helpless Nigerians to suffer.” He is capable and I pray that Almighty Allah will continue to strengthen him to succeed.’

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/bola-ajibola-buhari-dont-bow-pressure-anti-corruption-war/

Abeokuta—Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola,SAN, yesterday advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to succumb to the pressure to relax his anti-corruption war. Bola-Ajibola Bola-Ajibola According to him, Nigeria will not make progress, if corruption is not taken to the cleaners. Ajibola, who gave the advice in an interview in his Abeokuta home, recalled telling the President after his inauguration that corruption would fight back, but pleaded with him not to give in to pressures. The retired Judge of the International Court of Justice wondered what manner of people Nigerians were if the same people that voted Buhari to solve their problems of corruption were so early getting tired when the work had only just begun. He said: “Fighting corruption is vital and it is going to come with many provocations and open show of ungratefulness by the same Nigerians you are working hard to save but you stand firm and not be deterred. That is the way to go. ‘’When I served as Attorney-General of the Federation for over six years, I did not take salaries, asking them to use my salaries as part of the fund to run the nation’s affairs. ‘’Despite all that, when I was nominated for election into the International Court of Justice, eminent Nigerians, lawyers of note (names withheld) travelled all the way from Nigeria to campaign against me that I should not be voted into the ICJ. “That is where I would like to advise President Buhari not to be deterred by seeming lack of appreciation of the good work he is doing and various acts of sabotage and pressures of corrupt people that caused the suffering of Nigerians currently. ‘’The success of the whole struggle is in his not succumbing and in his firmness. The people that are doing these to the government, who will always come out to criticize as if there is nothing good that the government has done or is doing, should not be the reason to allow the other 170 million helpless Nigerians to suffer.” He is capable and I pray that Almighty Allah will continue to strengthen him to succeed.’’

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/bola-ajibola-buhari-dont-bow-pressure-anti-corruption-war/

By Bashir Adefaka Abeokuta—Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Bola Ajibola,SAN, yesterday advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to succumb to the pressure to relax his anti-corruption war. Bola-Ajibola Bola-Ajibola According to him, Nigeria will not make progress, if corruption is not taken to the cleaners. Ajibola, who gave the advice in an interview in his Abeokuta home, recalled telling the President after his inauguration that corruption would fight back, but pleaded with him not to give in to pressures. The retired Judge of the International Court of Justice wondered what manner of people Nigerians were if the same people that voted Buhari to solve their problems of corruption were so early getting tired when the work had only just begun. He said: “Fighting corruption is vital and it is going to come with many provocations and open show of ungratefulness by the same Nigerians you are working hard to save but you stand firm and not be deterred. That is the way to go. ‘’When I served as Attorney-General of the Federation for over six years, I did not take salaries, asking them to use my salaries as part of the fund to run the nation’s affairs. ‘’Despite all that, when I was nominated for election into the International Court of Justice, eminent Nigerians, lawyers of note (names withheld) travelled all the way from Nigeria to campaign against me that I should not be voted into the ICJ. “That is where I would like to advise President Buhari not to be deterred by seeming lack of appreciation of the good work he is doing and various acts of sabotage and pressures of corrupt people that caused the suffering of Nigerians currently. ‘’The success of the whole struggle is in his not succumbing and in his firmness. The people that are doing these to the government, who will always come out to criticize as if there is nothing good that the government has done or is doing, should not be the reason to allow the other 170 million helpless Nigerians to suffer.” He is capable and I pray that Almighty Allah will continue to strengthen him to succeed.’’

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/bola-ajibola-buhari-dont-bow-pressure-anti-corruption-war/

Why Nigeria, Its People, Are Suffering — Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said the sudden drop in the price of crude oil has left Nigeria poor, leaving it to struggle economically and it people suffering.
Mr. Buhari however said his administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability was serving the country in good stead, despite severe shortage of resources in the country.
The President spoke Thursday at the State House, Abuja, while receiving the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director and Under Secretary General of the United Nations, Prof Babatunde Osotimehin.
“It has been a very difficult year for Nigeria. Before we came to office, petroleum sold for about $100 per barrel.
Then it crashed to $37, and now oscillates between $40 and $45 per barrel. Suddenly, we’re a poor country, but commitment to transparency and accountability is not making people know that there is severe shortage,” Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, quoted the President as saying.
Asking UNFPA to bear with Nigeria in whichever area the country could not live up to its responsibilities for now, President Buhari said exploding population and different cultural practices in the country provide fertile ground for research to organizations like UNFPA.
The President thanked the UN agency for its commitment to saving lives in Nigeria, particularly of women and children.
On food security, President Buhari said reports from the North-East of the country were encouraging, as people were returning to their farmlands, with the guarantee of relative security.
Prof Osotimehin, a former Minister of Health in Nigeria, said UNFPA was determined to promote health care facilities across the country, noting that reduction of maternal mortality was doable, if the country paid more attention to access to health facilities, and human resources to run them.
He also encouraged Nigeria to commit to providing resources for health care, on a rollover basis, pledging that the UN would work with the country to provide humanitarian assistance not only in the North-East, “but even extended to the Lake Chad basin.”

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/208453-nigeria-people-suffering-buhari.html

Naira Surges As CBN Intervenes In Interbank Market

The naira pared some its previous day’s loss on the interbank forex market as it appreciated to N314.75 to the dollar on Thursday, stronger than the N317 to the dollar it closed on Wednesday.

The positive momentum displayed by the nation’s currency was attributed to an intervention by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which sold dollars to boost liquidity and help the naira to strengthen against the greenback.

The central bank asked some traders to bid for $1.5 million each, Reuters reported, adding that the Bank had been selling hard currency since this week.

A total of $6.27 million traded on Thursday.
However, on the parallel market, the naira climbed marginally to N395 to the dollar, up from the N394 to the dollar it closed the previous day.

The central bank had intervened in the interbank forex market on Tuesday to help support the naira after it hit an all-time low of N350 to the dollar in thin volume on that day.

The naira has been under pressure since the central bank floated the currency in June to allow it trade freely on the interbank market. The currency has been hit by a plunge in oil prices, Nigeria’s economic mainstay, which caused foreign investors to flee bond and equities markets.

The central bank last month told international money transfer operators to pay dollar proceeds from customer transfers into local commercial banks in naira, while selling the dollars themselves to bureaux de change (BDC) outlets.

On Tuesday the bank pegged the dollar transactions which banks can carry out with BDCs at $30,000 per week and set a margin for the banks to sell dollar to currency outlets at not more than 1.5 per cent over the rate at which they bought.

It hopes the move will help narrow the gulf between the official and black market rates and boost dollar liquidity, traders say.

The central bank set a margin of two percent over the rate at which BDCs sourced dollars from banks as resale premium to customers and pegged BDC disbursement at $5,000 per transaction to cover travel allowance, medical bills and school fees.
Meanwhile, the CBN yesterday advised interested International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) to apply for licence.

The central bank in a statement last night said it came to its notice that, in spite of its transparency in the licensing of IMTOs in Nigeria, some persons have continued to allege that the Bank has stopped the licensing of interested IMTOs in the country.

“The CBN wishes to state, unequivocally, that it has not foreclosed the licensing of interested players in the IMTO space in Nigeria. Therefore, interested applicants are required to forward their requests for licensing to the Director, Trade and Exchange Department of the CBN, in line with the CBN Guidelines on International Money Transfer Services in Nigeria (2014), which among other things, specifies the minimum technical and business requirements for various participants in the international money transfer services industry in Nigeria. The aforementioned guidelines can be downloaded from the website of the Central Bank of Nigeria, it added, saying it remains committed to providing an enabling environment for international money transfer services in Nigeria.

http://investorsking.com/naira-surges-as-cbn-intervenes-in-interbank-market/

Lagos BRT Drivers: We Can’t Drive On Empty Stomachs

Commuters were stranded, yesterday, when Lagos Bus Rapid Transport, BRT’s drivers and ticketers on the Ikorodu-CMS route downed tools over unpaid salaries and unfavourable condition of service.
The BRT scheme, operated by Primero Transport Services Ltd., began operation in November 2015 and has 434 buses on its fleet; and more than 2,000 staff.
It was gathered that the workers convened an emergency meeting at about 5.45a.m. at the loading station, after which they converged on the bus corridor and barricaded it. The protest was orderly.
Some of the workers lamented that their terms of service had been reversed, with salaries slashed from N60,000 to N45,000.
A driver, Mr. Julius Adejire, said: “We are still waiting for our July salaries. The funny thing is that as at Monday evening, we discovered that some other staffers, including the engineers and ground staff, have been receiving salaries alerts. Can we drive this bus on empty stomach?’’
Adejire said that apart from delayed salaries, the drivers wanted improved welfare and working conditions.
He said: “The policy guiding our job is another issue; we are working like slaves because as a driver you cannot stop to ease yourself or have break time.
“We are supposed to be doing 40 hours in a week, but they cowed us into doing 48 hours with just one off day instead of two.
“We have been tolerating them because we believe this is a new project that needs to be supported, but the situation is getting tougher.
“We don’t even know where we are heading; the buses are still new. Is it when the buses go bad that they will pay us?
“In our appointment letter, they said we will receive N60,000 as basic salary and N20,000 as performance bonus. After five months they changed it to N40,000 basic and N40,000 bonus with a lot of conditions.
“They are trying to instil discipline when there is no staff bus or accommodation arrangement for drivers who come from as far as Sango-Ota, Badagry and Agbara.”
He added that drivers, who could not afford to sleep on the bridge near the BRT bus shelter, pay N500 daily to sleep in a nearby church.
He said: “They should revert to the agreement on our appointment letter and also tell us the exact day of the month we will be receiving our salaries.

Source:
https://www.today.ng/news/national/165164/drive-empty-stomachs-striking-lagos-brt-drivers

Eminent Nigerians beg Buhari: Save Nigeria From Imminent Shutdown

LAGOS— EMINENT Nigerians, yesterday, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently provide the right response to the current hardship across the country, lamenting that his ministers had performed below expectation. Buhari They warned that if appropriate answers were not provided within the shortest possible time, the country might experience a total economic collapse. While calling on the Presidency to review the performances of most ministers, they were ambivalent over resignation calls for those who may be found unproductive. Those who spoke to Vanguard include, a former Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope; a former Chairman of Senate Committee on Oil and Gas, Sen Lee Maeba; Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed; ex-President of Nigeria Bar Association,NBA, Chief Olisa Agbakoba,SAN; and former presidential candidate, Prof Pat Utomi. Others are a retired Police Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav; founder of Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Chief Fredrick Fahseun and Publicity Secretary of Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Mr. Yinka Odumakin.


They spoke against the backdrop of the tackling of the ministers by Nigerians, who were irked by the prevailing economic hardship in the country at a Town Hall meeting held in Abuja last Monday.

It shows Buhari govt has lost credibility — Mohammed Mohammed said: “I am not surprised by the reactions of Nigerians against the Ministers. What I can say, with all sense of responsibility, is that majority of those ministers were not picked on merit, so how do you expect them to perform any magic? I can tell you that this is not a listening government, so they must surely come short of expectation. We are close to what is happening in Vene[/b]zuela

— Sen. Maeba Also speaking, Sen Maeba said: “It is very unfortunate that this government came under the pretence of change and miracle. But I keep asking whether the spirit of change has failed them or they refused to live up to their promises. I pray that this country’s situation does not get to what is happening in Venezuela right now

Buhari needs to embark on overdrive—Agbakoba Agbakoba said: “So, I think the President needs to go into overdrive. Everywhere you go, there is gloom and I think that gloom was what manifested at the town hall meeting.” That is Buhari’s problem —Babatope Babatope reacted thus: ‘’Those are Buhari’s problems.”

Nigerians need a clear path—Utomi Utomi said: “We have to do something more fundamental, it is not a one day wonder. However, it is important for people to see a clear path that you are travelling, it makes it easier for them to know that they will get to their destination.”

[b] Presidency should do something about non-performing ministers —Tsav Alhaji Abubakar Tsav , said: “People are suffering so much, salaries are being owed. Nigerians expected that they will reduce the hardship in the country but they are more interested in going about to talk. People are tired of listening to things they did not do.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/eminent-nigerians-buhari-save-nigeria-imminent-shutdown/

Henry & Charles Okah To Sue Jonathan

WARRI—THE Okah brothers, Henry and Charles, both leaders of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta, MEND, undergoing trials in South Africa and Nigerian courts respectively, have vowed to institute legal actions against former President Goodluck Jonathan over his purported scornful and damaging statements regarding them.

Spokesperson of Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, Jomo Gbomo, disclosed this in an online statement while reacting to Jonathan’s response to the accusation by the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA, that he (Jonathan) was the grand patron of Niger Delta Avengers, NDA.

MEND asserted: ‘’A substantial portion of Mr. Jonathan’s statement unfortunately dwelt on judicial matters, which are pending in various courts in Nigeria and South Africa.

‘’For instance, Mr. Henry Okah’s appeal in South Africa’s Constitutional Court is due for hearing this August, while his brother, Charles’ ongoing trial in Nigeria is pending before Hon. Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

“The former President’s statement was, therefore, contemptuous and prejudicial to the success of the ongoing trials of Henry and Charles Okah in South African and Nigerian courts, respectively. Consequently, both brothers shall, because of the former President’s prejudicial statement, institute legal action against him in South Africa and Nigeria within 60 days, commencing from today, August 8, 2016.

“Accordingly, they have briefed their respective solicitors to formally engage the former President in litigation,” Jomo Gbomo stated.

Commenting on Jonathan’s attempt to dissociate himself from the RNDA allegation, MEND said: “With all due respect, the entire statement was deeply provocative and embarrassingly misconceived as it woefully failed to address the core issue of whether or not the former President was, indeed, the grand patron of NDA.

“Rather, the statement employed diversionary tactics which dwelt extensively on sour grapes! Any follower of events in Nigeria and the Niger Delta privileged to read the statement released by Mr. Jonathan, would immediately observe that the former President had a score to settle with the Okah brothers as well as MEND, which have since May 30, 2014, stopped attacks on Nigeria’s oil and gas assets.

‘’They are currently engaged in dialogue with the Federal Government to find sustainable ways and means of ending the festering Niger Delta crisis, which was exacerbated by the former President’s ineptitude, incompetence and corruption during the six years he governed the country.”

Media Adviser to the former President, Mr. Ikechukwu Eze, told Vanguard on phone last night that Jonathan was not in the country and could, therefore, not react allegations raised by the Okah brothers.

‘’Indeed, the problem in the Niger Delta today has nothing to do with the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, far from it. The problem is simply the failure of Mr. Jonathan to address the root issues confronting the region when he was at the helm.”

“Even though he was from the impoverished region and had by his own admission in numerous electioneering campaigns, experienced utter poverty and abject neglect of the region foisted by successive Nigerian governments and the International Oil Companies since the discovery of oil in 1958 at Oloibiri (a few meters away from his native Otuoke) in Bayelsa State. Mr. Jonathan disappointingly frittered away the opportunity to rescue his people when the Nigerian Presidency fortuitously landed on his laps virtually on a platter of gold.

“For six whole years, Mr. Jonathan was busy drinking, making merry and generally chasing shadows at the State House. Such a fellow deserves to be ostracized from the assembly of reasonable men because the Nigerian Presidency might never come back to the region as cheap as it came to Mr. Jonathan; perhaps in the next 100 years.

“Lest we forget, MEND was at the forefront of the armed struggle back in 2006/2007, which forced President Olusegun Obasanjo to consider the option of drafting an Ijaw man into the mainstream of Nigerian politics.

‘’That was how the perpetually timid and naïve Goodluck Jonathan became Vice President and later, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

“When he assumed therein as President, he did the unthinkable; he tracked down perceived MEND leaders and promptly got them imprisoned on a trumped-up charge of attempt to assassinate him. Up until today, Mr. Jonathan is still suffering from an Assassination Paranoia Complex (APC).

“Back to the core issue, MEND cannot hold brief for the RNDA, which pointedly accused the former President of complicity in fuelling the ongoing Niger Delta crisis and patronizing the NDA, apparently for political reasons.

‘’We are, however, quick to point out the fact that the RNDA has merely vindicated MEND’s belief and conviction that the former President and his cronies, who lost the 2015 Presidential election were using the NDA platform to destabilize President Buhari’s government.”

It reiterated that MEND was committed to working with the current administration to bring peace, stability and development to the Niger Delta and that the process had since commenced with the constitution of the Federal Government/MEND Aaron Team 2 Dialogue, Peace and Development Initiative.

“Between August 22, 2016 and October 07, 2016, the Aaron Team shall embark on a tour of the Niger Delta. The proposed tour is code-named “Operation Moses” and the key focus of the tour is to persuade militants to ceasefire and support President Muhammadu Buhari in his determined and sincere effort to develop the region.

“The tour shall also help to boost Nigeria’s oil production capacity as well as improve host community relations with oil and gas companies in the country,” it added.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/alleged-damaging-comments-okah-brothers-sue-jonathan-nigeria-safrica/

Basketmouth To Jonathan: I Apologize For Disrespecting You

Basketmouth apologizes over attack on Goodluck Jonathan

Veteran Nigerian comedian, Basketmouth, has withdrawn his statement on the state of the nation, apologizing to former president, Goodluck Jonathan for disrespecting him.

In his last Instagram post, the comedian debunked rumors that he was one of the advocates for the emergence of Buhari’s administration.

He aired his stance on his alleged involvement in politics.

He said he never campaigned for President Buhari or any other politician (including former president, Jonathan).

He wrote: “Truth of the matter is that I would have voted anyone that could speak two words of English against Ex-president Goodluck Jonathan and that’s strictly based on the amount of greed and selfishness we witnessed from members of his (Jonathan’s) administration in the 6 years that he sat on the rock.

“I have said it numerous times that I am not a politician hence I try not to dabble in politics. However I think a few people interpret crying out against injustice by the one as campaign for the other.”

But barely 24 hours after airing his stance, Basketmouth apologized for appearing as though ‘disrespectful’ to Jonathan.

He, however, retracted his statement, stating he has ‘nothing but respect’ for the former president.

He wrote: “I have to sincerely apologise at this point that in expressing my opinion in my last post which was primarily to clear the air about who I campaigned, supported or rooted for or didn’t, I was disrespectful to a man I have nothing but respect.

“The last President may have had some wrong advisers and consequently decisions were made that will eventually impact on the economy, however I am sorry if it came across as an attack on the man Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

“We all desired a CHANGE, majority voted for it, now we have it, it is definitely a process, a tough one because I know the hustle is real…believe me, I know.

“I trust it can only get better, let’s just try to be patient,” he added.

http://dailypost.ng/dailystar/2016/08/10/basketmouth-apologizes-attack-goodluck-jonathan/?utm_source=dlvr.it_dp1&utm_medium=facebook

South Africa Ranked As Africa’s Biggest On Rand

South Africa’s economy regained the position of Africa’s largest in dollar terms more than two years after losing it to Nigeria as the value of the nations’ currencies moved in opposite directions.

Based on gross domestic product at the end of 2015 published by the International Monetary Fund, the size of South Africa’s economy is $301 billion at the rand’s current exchange rate, while Nigeria’s GDP is $296 billion. That’s after the rand gained more than 16 percent against the dollar since the start of 2016, and Nigeria’s naira lost more than a third of its value after the central bank bank removed a currency peg in June.


Both nations face the risk of a recession after contracting in the first quarter of the year. The Nigerian economy shrank by 0.4 percent in the three months through March from a year earlier amid low oil prices and output and shortage of foreign currency. That curbed imports, including fuel. In South Africa, GDP contracted by 0.2 percent from a year earlier as farming and mining output declined.

“More than the growth outlook, in the short term the ranking of these economies is likely to be determined by exchange rate movements,” Alan Cameron, an economist at Exotix Partners LLP, said in e-mailed responses to questions on Aug. 2. Although Nigeria is unlikely to be unseated as Africa’s largest economy in the long run, “the momentum that took it there in the first place is now long gone.”


Both nations face the risk of a recession after contracting in the first quarter of the year. The Nigerian economy shrank by 0.4 percent in the three months through March from a year earlier amid low oil prices and output and shortage of foreign currency. That curbed imports, including fuel. In South Africa, GDP contracted by 0.2 percent from a year earlier as farming and mining output declined.

“More than the growth outlook, in the short term the ranking of these economies is likely to be determined by exchange rate movements,” Alan Cameron, an economist at Exotix Partners LLP, said in e-mailed responses to questions on Aug. 2. Although Nigeria is unlikely to be unseated as Africa’s largest economy in the long run, “the momentum that took it there in the first place is now long gone.”


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The South African rand rallied as investors turned to emerging markets with liquid capital markets to seek returns after Britain voted to leave the European Union on June 23, even as the central bank forecast the economy won’t expand this year and the nation risks losing its investment-grade credit rating. The ruling African National Congress’s lowest support since 1994 in the Aug. 3 local government vote led to further gains on speculation that it will pressure the party to introduce economic reforms that will boost growth and cut unemployment.

In Nigeria, investors didn’t flock to buy naira-based assets after authorities removed the peg of 197-199 naira per dollar. The Central Bank of Nigeria raised its benchmark interest rate to a record in July to lure foreign money, even as the IMF forecast the economy will contract 1.8 percent this year.

Nigeria was assessed as the continent’s largest economy in April 2014 when authorities in the West African nation overhauled their GDP data for the first time in two decades. The recalculation saw the Nigerian economy in 2013 expand by three-quarters to an estimated 80 trillion naira.

The rand gained 1 percent to 13.2805 per dollar at 4:03 p.m. in Johannesburg on Wednesday. The naira weakened 2.7 percent to 320 per dollar.


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-10/south-africa-s-economy-regains-rank-as-africa-s-biggest-on-rand

Ekiti Conducts Public Hearing On Grazing Bill,Plans To Build Cattle Ranches

Ekiti conducts public hearing on grazing bill, plans to build cattle ranches

Ekiti State government will build cattle ranches across the three senatorial districts of the state. This was made known by the honorable member representing Ikole constituency 1, Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan during a public hearing organized by the joint committees on agriculture and environment on a bill to regulate and control cattle grazing in Ekiti State at the hallowed chamber of the state house of assembly, Ado Ekiti on Wednesday. The hearing had in attendance traditional rulers, representatives from the Agriculture, Environment and Justice ministries. Other participants include representative of security agencies, cattle rearers, vigilantes and other members of the public.

Chairman of the committee and deputy speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Adewumi Olusegun while declaring the public hearing open recalled how incessant attack on residents of Ekiti by herdsmen in recent time had drawn the attention of Ekiti State government and the need to control their activities. Hon. Adewumi who said the bill is first of its kind in the country expressed optimism that the bill when passed into law will enhance protection of lives of Ekiti people.

Chairman of Ekiti State Council of Obas and Ologotun of Ogotun Ekiti, HRM Oba Oyebade Oladapo in his remarks highlighted some of the hovocs wrecked in time past by herdsmen and thanked the state government for coming up with a bill of this nature which will no doubt save farmers and residents from the nefarious activities of the herdsmen. Another traditional ruler, the Elemure of Emure, Oba Adebayo Emmanuel called for the creation of ranches for cattle rearers in the state, he also called on the government to make available irrigation facilities for farmers in the state.

A house member from Gbonyin LG, Hon. Fajemileyin in his remarks told participants that the committee is not out to witch hunt anyone but to prevent properties and lives of the people of Ekiti from destruction.

Permanent secretary of the Agric ministry, Engr. E. Abegunde in his contribution said the problem is not limited to Ekiti State but peculiar to the entire West African region. He narrated how farmers develop high blood pressure consequent upon the destruction of their crops by cattles and their rearers. The PS who said his ministry had severally written to the Sultan, IG and other instrumentalities of the federal government with no positive result to show for it urged Nigerians to emulate other countries where animals are reared without seen roaming the streets.

"There is justification for this action, cattle rearing should be seen as private business such as snail rearing, piggery, poultry and so on, modern technology should be adopted in the business, they should be confined in ranches, the energy the cattles dissipates in transit is converted to added weight which is an added advantage to the rearer", Abegunde said.

A Director in Forestry department, Mr. Akinola in his contribution recounted how the herdsmen activities have rendered the ministry incapacitated via wanton destruction of seedlings in the nurseries across the state. He pleaded with the honorable house to pass the bill in other to save the ministry from total collapse.

Executive chairman of Emure LG, Hon. Oguntuase prayed the house to speedily pass the bill because farmers in their numbers across Ekiti State are suffering inwardly. He lamented that many of the farmers after farming with loans accessed in banks or other cooperative societies see their produce trampled upon, destroyed or devoured by cattles. He called on the house to input stiff penalty as punishment for those who go against the bill when it becomes law.

The herdsmen, represented by their legal adviser, Barr. Umar Imam agreed with the state government that there should be control over grazing in Ekiti but expressed reservations on some sections of the bill. The lawyer who justified movements with cutlasses, knives and catapults by rearers said he isn't against the prosecution of any herdsman found with AK-47. He urged the committee to have a second look at the recommendations he submitted to the committee.

Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Ekiti State, Zaiyanu Muhammed said the troublemakers are not indigenous cattle rearers but those transiting from Niger Republic, Sokoto, Chad and so on enroute Southern Nigeria. He said Ekiti is just a route and their heinous activities are committed in Ekiti boundaries. He suggested that the only solution to the problem is the creation of Vigilante Group which will comprise the DSS, Police, NSCDC, Immigration, Fulani Bororo, Fulani Ilorin amongst others to curb the excesses of those in transit.

Hon. Titilayo Akerele representing Ikole Constituency 2 in the House suggested that Nomadic corridors be established in the bill.

Source: http://www.trezzyblog.com/2016/08/ekiti-conducts-public-hearing-on.html

I Am A Militant – Oshiomhole Declares

Abuja – Gov. Adams Oshiomhole says for any government to make progress, it must maintain a national minimum wage.

Oshiomhole said this in Abuja on Wednesday during a forum tagged ‘The Podium’, organised by The Kukah Centre in collaboration with the Ford Foundation.

The programme, which seeks an interface between the electorate and policy makers, had the theme: “From Activism to Political Power: The Challenges of Democratic Governance in Nigeria”.

According to Oshiomhole, a labourer is worthy of his wages, meaning if an employer is owing, he is breaching a contract.

“’This is where I’m different. I still insist any government who wants to be taken seriously must have a national minimum wage.

“We must maintain a national minimum wage, look for ways to increase it; that is what I still advocate for.”

Giving an informal account of his stewardship and why he carried out most of his actions, the governor said he stayed true to his activism years by not owing salaries.

He explained that as a former factory worker himself, he understood the importance of wages and that was why he increased workers salaries in Edo by 38 per cent.

“Activism is not synonymous with being progressive. I believe we should all be idealistic and not dismiss the possibility of an ideal society.

“One man’s idealism is another man’s reality. Wages paid to people is not burden.

“In Edo we increased it to 38 per cent and I’m proud to still pay before the last day of every month.”
He explained that complaints about salaries from the state were mostly about the 18 months pension arrears he inherited and the inability of local governments to pay their staff.

“We respect the autonomy of the Local Government but we insisted that if they cannot do environmental sanitation, waste management, grading rural roads, cleaning up the market at least you must pay the teachers’ salaries.

“So I am not responsible for non-payment at that level. Non-payment of wages is a criminal breach in the law of contract.

“You can pay daily, weekly, monthly but not in excess of 30 days, you are breaching the agreement.”

Oshiomhole said as an activist he was in governance to know the ropes, know how to help people and counter concepts like god-fatherism in politics.

“I have been militant, will remain a militant and retire a militant not with guns. I don’t burst pipelines but we must react to sayings like the ‘if you can’t beat them join them’.”

The Chairman of the occasion, former Gov. Donald Duke of Rivers, said he advocates improvement in society.

“Sadly politicians in our society are merely jobbers and budget padders. We advocate improvement and not change.

“We had a violent change in 1966, so change is not necessarily the way to go. Improvements however makes things happen, develops societies and affects the people positively.”
Bishop Mathew Kukah, the Convener of the event, said the essence of the forum was to design programmes that encourage debate and free exchange of ideas.

“To serve as a mediating platform between the government, citizens and communities.
“Also, to enhance the quality of leadership training at all levels both in the public and non-governmental sectors.”

Activists from all sectors and relevant stakeholders attended the event.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/oshiomhole-says-progressive-govts-must-maintain-national-minimum-wage/

We Are Elected To Pad Budget – Abiodun Olasupo

The Chairman House of Representative Committee on Legislative Compliance, Abiodun Olasupo has insisted that ‘budget padding’ remains a constitutional responsibility of the legislative arm of government and as such the House of Representatives did not err in the current ‘budget padding’ controversy.

Olasupo, representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/ Iwajowa federal constituency stated this during the inspection of some his zonal intervention projects and federal government projects within his constituency on Wednesday in Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State.

‎He said Sections 80 and 81 the Nigeria constitution,guarantees the lawmakers the Powers to alter the Budget Proposals‎.

The lawmaker argued that budgets presented by the executive arm of government do not often reflect true federal character hence the need for ‘padding’‎.

‎”If you look at the Nigeria Constitution, what Honourable AbdulMuminin Jibrin refer to as padding is tantamount to what the constitution defines as the function of a member of House of Representative because the constitution guarantees the three major function of making law, appropriation, and over sight.

“In appropriation it is either for us to add, subtract or change and what Hon Jibrin has been trying to say is that we are changing, inserting and adding, so if that is what he calls padding then that is what the constitution expects the house of representative to do.

“In my own opinion been an active member during the budget defence, I was involved in the budgeting system of up to six ministries, I participated in FERMA, NAVY, health institutions, governmental agencies and a whole lot of them. The entire budgeting system make it possible that if you are elected as a member of national assembly and you are not ready to do what Muminin Jibrin calls padding then you are a failure, because basically the budget that is been brought to the national assembly does not reflect the principle of federal character as guaranteed by the constitution.” he said

‎Olasupo said all projects and employments from the executive should be done in a way that it reflects all parts of Nigeria, adding that:” but what do we get in the budget, you will see a disapprotionate distribution of projects and basically if you look at it reflects mostly on where the minister is coming from since it is the executive that brings in the budget.”

‎The lawmaker went further that:” When the executive are bringing the budget they are not considering my constituency, so they will bring a budget to me and I am expected to approve it, and if it doesn’t have the interest of my constituency you want me to keep quite, no I won’t, what I will also do is to insert what will favour the people of my constituency which is what Jibrin calls padding.

“I am not saying somebody is wrong or right but I do not see what is bad in attracting projects to my constituency. For the first time in the history of this country a budget presented by the executive was reduced when a president personally presented the budget to the national assembly personally. It means that we are shifting away from impunity, and corruption that has characterised the government of the past.”

‎Olasupo noted that the legislature have only had an unhindered experience of 16 years when compared with the executive, appealing to Nigerians to be patient with the national assembly to get right all their lapses in no time.

http://thenationonlineng.net/we-are-elected-to-pad-budget-lawmaker/

FRSC To Begin Use of Speed Limit Detection Device October 1 - Car Talk

FRSC to Begin Use of Speed Limit Detection Device October 1

Abuja - The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has said that the presidency had approved Oct. 1 for the commencement of implementation and enforcement of the Speed Limiting Device.

Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshall, FRSC, disclosed this in Abuja while briefing stakeholders on the new date for the implementation and enforcement of the device.

Oyeyemi said that the implementation and enforcement of the device witnessed four postponements from its initial launching date of June 1, 2015, before its final approval by the presidency.

“The final directive from the presidency is clear; the enforcement date for the implementation of the speed limiting device is on Oct. 1 and we have had series of stakeholders meeting.

“The essence of today’s meeting is to finally convey the directive of the federal government to the stakeholders that with effect from Oct. 1, the implementation and enforcement would commence.

“We already have the portal that we will use to monitor this, we don’t need to pursue any vehicle, we will just stop you like we verify licence.

“On the tablet we will check whether your vehicle has been installed with the device, if it has not, we will impound the vehicle and we make sure that you do the right thing.

“We are not talking about fines now ,it’s to save lives so we will impound the vehicle then the owner of the vehicle will be made to install the device before the journey continues ,’’ he said.

Oyeyemi said that the corps would do this for the next three to six months to achieve enforcement and compliance so as to compel commercial vehicles to install the device.

He said the FRSC was only concerned about commercial vehicles installing it for now, adding that with time the enforcement would extend to private vehicles so as to cut down crashes on the road.

He said the FRSC was relentless on the enforcement of the speed limiting device because speed had been identified as a key risk factor in road traffic injuries.

Oyeyemi said that an increase in average speed of
1km/h typically results in a 3 per cent higher risk of
a crash involving injury, with a 4 per cent – 5 percent increase resulting in fatalities.

“ For car occupants in a crash with an impact speed
of 80km/h, the likelihood of death is 20 times what
it would have been at an impact speed of 30km/h.

“Speed is the major cause of crashes in Nigeria
with commercial vehicles accounting for 65 per cent
of the crashes,’’ the corps marshal said.

He said speed related road deaths were avoidable if
Nigerians resolved to prevent them, adding that
controlling human habits on speeding had not been
as effective as desired.

Oyeyemi said it was pertinent for the nation to embrace this speed limiting strategy to curb “this monster on our roads’’.

He said the speed limiter device was available in
the market and that the FRSC had a list of the
companies trading in the device on its website and
urged vehicle owners to visit the site so as to
purchase genuine ones.

Oyeyemi urged the Standard Organisation of Nigeria
to ensure that importers complied with the standard
for the device.

He also tasked the SON to ensure that only vehicles
with the device were allowed to be imported into the
country.

Speaking at the occasion, the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir
Lawal,commended the FRSC for the initiative and
thanked the National Assembly and the President
for endorsing it .

Lawal said the project would help in saving the lives
of Nigerians by cutting down speed which was a
major killer on the nation’s highways.

The stakeholders present at the forum included
representatives from the National Assembly, the
SGF’s office and the Department of State Security
(DSS).

Members of transport associations in Nigeria were
also present and they pledged their support to the
implementation of the device.

http://nigerianinterest.blogspot.com/2016/08/frsc-to-begin-use-of-speed-limit.html?m=1

Budget Padding: We’ll Crush Any Attempt To Remove Dogara —oke

House of Representatives Committee chairman on Public Procurement, Honourable Wole Oke, representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency in Osun State, in this interview with JACOB SEGUN OLATUNJI, speaks on the alleged 2016 Budget padding and sundry issues. Excerpts:

YOU are a ranking member of the 8th National Assembly, what is your take on the drama going on at the House of Representatives over the alleged padding of the 2016 Budget by Speaker Yakubu Dogara and others?

It is a very sad development in the history of Nigeria’s legislature. It’s a very strange word, budget padding—I am hearing it for the first time. It does not exist in our laws; it does not even exist in our constitution or in our penal or criminal codes. The crafters of our constitution have never, ever mentioned such word as padding. Somebody has called it forgery. I know forgery exists as an offence in our criminal codes, penal codes. But in the parliament, the purpose of any lawmaker coming to the parliament, the purpose of any constituency donating their mandate to their representatives to represent them in parliament is actually because of the budget bill, because it is what you can use to attract development to your areas, to your constituency or to your Senatorial districts, lobbying, relating with people, furnished energy to attract project to my constituency, should not be criminalised.

I don’t know what Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin wants to achieve. What the honourable is doing, is to knock the heads of the legislature and the executive together and put our democracy asunder.

Assuming without conceding that there are projects that have been tempered with, Mr. President has a lot of gateways, he has a lot of tools to manage the budget with. He can request for virement; ask for amendment. These tools are there, but for Hon Jibrin himself to start saying that there is padding or there is insertion, I mean it’s busybody! I don’t know what he wants to achieve. The All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government should sanction him, because he has painted the government of President Muhammadu Buhari in a bad manner.

Jibrin has christened the APC-led government as a corrupt government because virtually everybody he has mentioned so far, with the exception of my own leader, Hon. Leo Ogor, are members of APC, so the APC-led government should sanction Hon Jibrin. The party has all the mechanisms to address the issue that he has raised and the legislature also has its own rules. So, honestly, I am totally disappointed and I am not proud of Jibrin being a part of the parliament, roaming the streets and talking about issues that don’t exist.

How do you mean?

At worst, if he is aggrieved, he should have approached the court of law. He can challenge the processes if he wants, he can go to court if he wants but to be labeling every member of the parliament as corrupt is un- called for because I am not corrupt. I am standing very, very straight, not bending. I can be seen, I am standing straight and I am supporting Speaker Dogara, I am supporting the Deputy Speaker, Hon Lasun Yusuf. The Minority Leader, Ogor, is a member of my own party. In the past, between 2003 abd 2007, I have had cause to attract Federal Government projects to my constituency, Obokun/ Oriade Federal Constituency,Osun State. Would you call that padding?

The Nigeria Airforce Safety Training Institute sited in Ipetu-Ijesha, would you call it budget padding? I influenced its being sighted in my area. I didn’t even know the contractors that executed it. I have no business with contractors that executed it. At any rate, Dogara, Yussuf, Ogor, Dogowa and others mentioned have no access to the treasury. All the projects captured in the budget are going to the executive arm of government. It has the procurement procedure as a gateway to arrest any project it doesn’t want.

Are you suspecting external forces behind the whole drama?

That is my worry. What he is doing is to put our democracy in trouble. We all understand and believe in separation of powers. He is out to knock the heads of the executive, judiciary and parliament together, he is out to cause confusion in the entire polity.

What do you think is the way out of the mess?

You see, we as lawmakers in the parliament, our Bible and Quran are anchored by our House rules and they are procedures for managing these scenarios.

Did Honourable Jibrin exhaust these procedures and secondly, has he ever mentioned this on the floor of the House or in any of your executive meetings?

As far as we are concerned, all the allegations by Jibrin are not known to the House.One, we are not in session and secondly, he has not tabled any petition against any member of the House. He has not raised this matter in the House. So, legislatively, Jibrin’s position is not known to the House. When we resume, he has a window to ventilate his views. He can, by way of point of order, put his position on notice; he can come in form of a motion on notice. All the black mailing, the distraction, the allegation against the institution of the House of Reps and the un-parliamentary language will be addressedwhen we resume.

Is it true that some members have been collecting signatures to send away all the principal officers over the alleged padding ?

That cannot happen. I can give you the statistics of the position of the House. In the North East today, Dogara has 98 per cent support. In the North-Central, he has 99 per cent support, and 95 per cent in the North- West. In the South-South and South East, he has 100 per cent support, while in the South-West, he has 75 per cent support. So, which list are they collecting?

Which signatures are they collecting? We are 360 in the House, and I put it to you— I stand to be corrected, 310 members are behind Dogara that I know of. I don’t know of the remaining 50, but I put it to you that at least on my own records, I have 310 members that we meet that are fully for Dogara. You may have few members who are disgruntled, who are not happy maybe because of the post Speakership election but as I speak to you, noting can shake Dogara lead leadership.

Does the alleged budget padding have any connection with the reported plans to impeach the president?

Anybody who is thinking of impeaching President Buhari must be insane. Nobody has discussed such issue. We are in a state of economic quagmire; we are trying to get out of it. It has not crossed anybody’s mind.

http://tribuneonlineng.com/budget-padding-ll-crush-attempt-remove-dogara-oke/

Budget Padding: Dogara Shuns Police Invitation

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has shunned the invitation of the police Special Investigating Panel over allegations of budget padding.

The PUNCH reliably gathered on Wednesday that the Speaker did not honour the police invitation because the letter was not signed by the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

The panel had in a letter to Dogara requested him and others mentioned in the petition to appear before it last Friday.

The Speaker, however, did not honour the invitation. Rather, he met with President Muhamadu Buhari over the budget crisis on Friday.

While Dogara’s accuser and a former House Appropriation Chairman, Abdulmumin Jibrin, appeared before the panel last week Friday and on Tuesday, Dogara and other principal officers shunned it.

Jibrin had accused the Speaker of padding the 2016 budget in collusion with some officers of the House.

Jibrin had submitted a petition against the accused to the police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, urging the agencies to probe them.

The lawmaker had also visited the police last Wednesday with documents to back up his claims.

The PUNCH gathered on Wednesday that the police invitation was regarded as an “informal invitation.”

A committee chairman close to Dogara who spoke on condition of anonymity told our correspondents that although an invitation was sent to the Speaker last week by the police, the document was “considered to be informal because it was signed by a low-ranking officer.”

He said, “The Speaker is the number four citizen of this country.

“If you are sending a letter to him, there should be a signature of the Inspector-General of Police on it.”

But a source close to the public panel told one of our correspondents that Dogara’s reason was not tenable, adding that any member of the panel could sign the invitation.

When contacted, Dogara’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Turaki Hassan, said he would make enquiries and get back to The PUNCH.

However, as of 9.48pm on Wednesday, Hassan had yet to return the call.

He also did not reply to a text message sent to his mobile phone.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Donald Awunah, said he could not comment because he did not know anything about the investigation.

“I don’t know about the investigation, so I can’t comment,” he said on the telephone.

Police, EFCC probe illegal –Reps

Some members of the House of Representatives took a position on the budget padding allegations by Jibrin on Wednesday, declaring that neither the police nor the EFCC had the power to investigate legislative proceedings.

Findings showed on Wednesday that the majority of the 96 committee chairmen and their 96 deputies considered the 2016 Appropriation Act as a law already in operation.

The development came as The PUNCH learnt that members of the Transparency Group were under pressure to back down on their confrontation with the leadership of the House.

An official of the House said, “The 1999 Constitution (as amended), particularly in sections 80 and 81, spell out the processes for the appropriation of government funds.

“The 2016 money bill did not only comply with the provisions of the constitution, but also followed all other legislative processes of passing bills by the National Assembly.

“The question that has remained unanswered is what the police and the anti-graft agencies want to investigate.”

Investigations showed that the chairmen and their deputies had discussed the issue and resolved that the budget conformed to the provisions of the law.

One of the chairmen, who heads the House Committee on Army, Mr. Rima Shawulu, told The PUNCH that lawmakers considered the involvement of the police and the EFCC in “purely parliamentary processes” as a waste of resources and man-hours.


“The police and the EFCC cannot investigate the internal proceedings of the House. Neither the House rules nor the Constitution of this country gives them the power to do so.

“What are they coming to investigate? That Jibrin said budget was padded? If he said budget was padded, he must bring the original. Where is the original?

“Let him publish the original. What will the police do in this case? That the House did not follow its process before the President signed the budget into law?

“If they are saying the zonal intervention projects are not being executed as passed in the budget, that is criminal, but that is not the case here.

“There is no place in the legislative process for the police or the EFCC.”

The PUNCH gathered that this was the position that the Speaker and the three other principal officers accused by Jibrin would make known to the police and the EFCC when they eventually appear before the security agency.

The others are the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Lasun Yussuff; the Chief Whip, Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa; and the Minority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor.

Meanwhile, the meeting of the Transparency Group, a group of legislators backing Jibril, failed to take place for the second time on Wednesday.

Findings showed that the lawmakers came under pressure to stop their attacks on the principal officers of the House.

But the group was said to have insisted that the budgeting process was flawed and must be reviewed.

One of the key members of the group, Mr. Baballe Bashir, confirmed that the group was under pressure.

He, however, denied that the pressure was the reason the group could not meet.

Bashir, who is from Kano State, explained that many members had travelled to their constituencies to attend to pressing demands by their constituents.

He admitted that the group had sought a review of the budgeting process to address the “glaring cases of exclusion” in the distribution of zonal intervention projects.

“Our position is that there is so much that we must address in the budget so that the problems will not repeat themselves,” Bashir added.

He stated that the group had not backed down on the call for investigation into the allegations made by Jibrin.

APC will do the right thing, says Oni

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress, however, urged Nigerians to trust the ruling party in handling the padding crisis.

The APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Mr. Segun Oni, said Nigerians should not rely on body language, but on what the party spoke on the issue.

The former Governor of Ekiti State was asked by one of our correspondents why the APC was handling the alleged padding of the 2016 national budget as a “family affair” when the issue was national and had generated public interest.

He said, “The APC family is also a family of Nigerians because Nigerians have given us the responsibility to run Nigeria. So, if anything affects Nigeria, it affects our family and if anything affects our family, we expect Nigerians to take interest in it.

“Our party has as one of our cardinal objectives, the agenda to wrestle corruption to the ground.

“Nigerians should stop insinuating; they should listen to us. They should listen to our language as we speak it out. We are not going to contradict ourselves. Nigerians should expect us to do the right thing.”

The ex-governor said the APC had assigned an all-northerner committee, including the Deputy National Chairman (North), the National Vice-Chairman (North-West) and the National Secretary of the party, to handle the party’s intervention.

Both Dogara and Jibrin, who are at the centre of the crisis, are from the North.

http://punchng.com/budget-padding-dogara-shuns-police-invitation/

Wale Ojoniyi And Mercy Ikwue Sex Scandal Video In Osun State University

A lecturer at the Department of Languages and Linguistics of the Osun State University, Ikire Campus, Dr. Wale Ojoniyi, is currently in trouble following the release of a video tape of his alleged sex escapade with a 400 level English student of the institution, Mercy Ikwue.

The student, who released the over 30-minute video clip, recorded it in a hotel room.

Although some claimed the lecturer raped the student, real sexual intercourse was not captured in the video.

There was also no attempt by the man in the video to coerce the student to cooperate with him.

In a petition written to The Punch, some students of the university claimed that Ojoniyi was instrumental to the suspension of the female student, after she was allegedly caught for examination malpractices.

On her return to the university after the one academic session rustication, the petition claimed the lecturer mounted pressure on the student for an amorous affair but the lady resisted him.

It was further learnt that the lady confided in some persons, who advised her to set a trap for Ojoniyi by agreeing to his love advances.

She eventually went to the agreed hotel room and met him.

In the video, which was also made available to our correspondent, the female student set up a laptop directly opposite the bed and pretended to be watching the ‘Things Fall Apart’ film on it but she was recording the sexual activity.

Although there was no act of sexual intercourse captured in the video, the man in the video was seen stark Unclad and caressing the student occasionally.

In the video, Ikwue was seen throwing her blue top on the bed from an angle she knew the camera could not cover. She also ensured that the camera lense did not capture her when she removed her trousers.

She wore her top throughout the 34-minute duration of the show and used the bedsheet as a wrapper.

The man came to the bed Unclad oblivious of the trap set for him and dangled his manhood throughout the show.

The audio quality of the video clip was poor but some of the conversations can still be heard.

The female student said at one point, “Give me my transport. I am not asking for any other money, just give me my transport fare.

“Why is your thing (private part) dropping like this, haven’t you done it in recent time.

“Before I went on suspension, why didn’t you plead on my behalf? You knew about it joo.”

Ojoniyi when asked by our correspondent if he was aware of the video said he had heard of it.

He said, “I also heard of the video. It is being investigated.”

Asked if he believed that the video was a handiwork of those who might want to bring him down, he said, “ People can do anything, but I cannot be brought down.”

http://punchng.com/uniosun-lecturer-sex-scandal-video/

Warri People Lay Siege On Chevron Tank & Protest Explotation By FG & NDDC

Aggrieved elders, women and youths staged a protest against the discrimination, unemployment, underdevelopment, non-commencement of EPZ, federal government hoodwinked to shortchange Itsekiri in NDDC.They also lay siege on Chevron tank farm in Ugborodo town.

The protesters from Ugborodo, an Itsekiri community in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State laid siege to the Escravos Tank Farm, belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, alleging neglect and discrimination by the multinational oil conglomerate.

The angry villagers,who set bonfires occupied the company’s premises since Tuesday.Reports from the area said that the villagers cordoned the gate preventing access in and out of the company through the gate.While the villagers were protesting outside,some of affected workers complained inside.However, the company airlifted some workers out with helicopters, while tension has enveloped the area.Security agencies were making efforts to calm the irate villagers, who refused to leave the company until their demands are looked into, accusing the firm of playing hide and seek with them.

Source: http://www.trezzyblog.com/2016/08/ugborodo-people-in-delta-state-lay.html

Police Kill Protesting Youths In Kogi

There was pandemonium on Wednesday in Umomi community in the Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State when some policemen attached to the Ugwolawo division opened fire on a crowd of protesting youths.

Two of the youths, identified as Okaye Omodi and Zekeri Mohammed, were shot dead by the officers, who immediately fled to their station.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the youths were protesting the arrest and detention of some residents, including a retired police officer identified as Peter Adama.

Our correspondent gathered that Adama and others were arrested around 11pm on Tuesday by some officers attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

A resident, Jeremiah Idege, said the operatives swooped on the community after some Fulani herdsmen reported that their cows had been killed by some residents.

Idege claimed that the allegation was false, saying that the herdsmen had actually invaded and destroyed the community’s farmland.

He said. “We have issues with the Fulani herdsmen and that has been on for as long as 15 years. They have been destroying our farmland with reckless abandon. As I speak with you, our community is wrecked.

“The little we have left was ravaged again by their cows recently and we reported the matter at the Ugwolawo Police Division. We were given four policemen to follow us to assess the level of damage done to our crops.

“Later, the police said we should come to a roundtable meeting with the herdsmen so they could resolve the case; but we refused.

We just asked them to leave in peace. If we collect any money from them, they will say they have bought the lands and they will completely take over what we have left.”

It was learnt that a few days after the mediation failed, the herdsmen reported that some cows had been killed by the residents.

Our correspondent was told that some of the community leaders followed the herdsmen round to see the alleged dead cows, but found none.

Another resident of the community, Sani Emmanuel, said the herdsmen made the allegation because they were asked to leave the village.

Emmanuel said on Monday, the Fulani leaders reported again at the police station that another set of cows had been killed.

He said, “On Tuesday, around 11pm, a group of policemen entered our village and started breaking doors and ransacking our homes. They arrested a lot of people, including Adama, who is retired police officer.”

Emmnauel said the arrest did not go down well with the community youths, who trooped out on Wednesday to protest the continued destruction of their farmland without any help from the security agents.

PUNCH Metro was told that the youths blocked the roads and sang solidarity songs.

A witness, who did not want his name in print, said the protest was peaceful.

He said, “The protest, which started around 10am, was peaceful and it was within our village. Suddenly, armed policemen from the Ugwolawo division drove in and shot live bullets into the crowd. We all fled without knowing what had happened. The policemen had left before we knew they had killed two people.”

The corpses were said to have been abandoned on the road until the Ata of Igala, Mr. Michael Idakwo, reportedly arrived at the scene and ordered that the victims’ families should take them away for burial.

A resident said, “We don’t know who to cry to now that the police, who are supposed to protect us, have turned against us. We don’t know any human rights organisation to turn to. Please help us; we are helpless.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, Kogi State Command, William Aya, confirmed the incident, adding that the state Commissioner of Police had gone to visit the scene.

He said, “I don’t have all the details of what transpired now. But the state Commissioner of Police has gone to see what actually transpired and assuage the residents. I will get back when I finally get the details.”
He had, however, yet to call back as of press time.
http://punchng.com/pandemonium-police-kill-protesting-youths-kogi/

Buhari Has Abandoned Those That Brought Him To Power –olufunmilade

Dr. Femi Olunfunmilade is the Head of Department of Political Science and International Studies, Igbinedion University, Okada. A staunch believer in President Muhammadu Buhari, he was a member of the Buhari-Osinbajo Presidential Campaign Organisation. In this interview, he scores the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari high in the fight against terrorism and anti-corruption, but laments what he describes as the abandonment of those that worked tirelessly to make him president. Excerpts:

How would you rate the administration of President Buhari?
President Buhari promised three major things during his presidential campaign to the Nigerians. He promised to eliminate insecurity which was on the high side, because at that time, over 20 local governments were under the control of the Boko Haram terrorists. He also promised to fight corruption and to revive the economy. To an extent, he has tried to fulfil these three promises. Today, terrorism has been severely degraded, and I do not think that the terrorists are controlling any local government and the North East is fairly safe now. People are returning to their homes. Those who are still in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps are being rehabilitated. Farming activities and trading have resumed and the evidence is clear for us to see. It’s true we still have occasional bombings but we have reclaimed our territories from Boko Haram. In terms of security, I will give him a pass mark. In terms of fighting corruption, those who are older than us who were already adults during the first republic and have seen it all will tell you that no government apart from that of Muhammed Buhari from December 31st 1983 till August 17th 1985, can compare in terms of fighting corruption. It has been an all-out war and no one is considered sacred. It is no longer business as usual. In the National Assembly, even the lawmakers are doing house cleansing and it is all to fight corruption.

But are you impressed with the administration’s method of fighting corruption?
It is not by taking people to court and prosecuting them alone; there are also institutional reforms aimed at fighting corruption. Look at the Treasury Single Account which showed all kinds of loose funds that no one knew existed. Some of them have over 40 accounts; this is an avenue for leakage. Now it is easy to know what comes in and monitor what goes out. There are other things that are being done in terms of institutional reforms. At the Federal Ministry of Finance, there is an efficiency unit which is meant to take a hard look on various expenditures in the government just to save funds because we are in an era of scarcity. Items like conference bags, elaborate brochures and other gifts should be discarded, even the programme of events shouldn’t be more than one page and it should be in black and white not coloured, because every kobo counts.
We are not only fighting for the billions; we are fighting for the thousands of naira too. In terms of anti-corruption, I will score Buhari high. However, the challenges are there, those who are being prosecuted have the money to hire the Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) and some people will try to make it an ethnic issue by saying the president is persecuting one ethnic group but he is doing very well.

Opinion in many quarters is that nothing has been achieved in the area of economy; what’s your take?

When we talk of the economy, from the government side, it is having money to embark on developmental projects and ensuring there are no leakages. We have a huge infrastructural deficit; but a look at the items in the 2016 budget would show that they unprecedented. We have the coastal railway which will move from Lagos to Calabar but also connect other states; another one will move from Ibadan to the North connecting various states and capitals. The plan Buhari has, is to make sure that every capital will be connected by rail and when that is done; our roads would be saved form quick depreciation. The price of barrel has quite changed; also the serious sabotage by the Niger Delta Avengers is making it all worse. In general, the president has tried.

There is this friction with the National Assembly; what can say about relationship between the Presidency and the legislators?
We have to put things in their proper context. As far as the president and the National Assembly are concerned, I think they have had good relationship. All the appointees that have been sent to the National Assembly have been cleared without any unnecessary delay. The only issue is with the national budget. I want believe that it is an issue that has come and will also go. If there is anything that would come out of it, it is the National Assembly becoming better and stronger. Looking at it from another angle, the President and his support base have a good relationship; the support base refers to his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the various support groups round the country. All the support groups have been left in the lurch and I can tell that people are not happy. I carried out the need assessment survey for Buhari’s campaign on the platform of the support organizations. It was decided that I conduct a research. I proposed it and it was approved by them. It was meant to find out the peculiar needs of each state and the Federal Capital Territory and condense these needs to bullet points. After the survey, we told them to promise those in Ekiti State a Federal Secretariat Complex because the state doesn’t have one. In Cross River, the people are still unhappy about the Bakassi issue, they were told to promise them to revisit the issue of the displaced persons. It was done nationwide and I was supported by the coordinators of the Buhari Support Group across the 36 states. A lot of Northerners who were part of his support base are not happy, so people should stop having the impression that he is only favouring the Northerners. He cannot give everyone an appointment but he can make symbolic gestures. We have leaders and most of them have what it takes to serve in the government.

Are you saying that his appointments so far have been in order?

Many of those who were appointed were unknown to us and you can quote me. In the Buhari political family, we have professors, and some of the vice chancellors that were appointed were unknown to us; they just came out of the blues. Many of the people appointed in National Examinations Council (NECO) and other tertiary institutions were not known. Maybe they are people known by him, but we did not know them. We are not saying that if he finds qualified people he shouldn’t pick them; he should go ahead and pick them. We are happy that he put a professional in the oil sector. We don’t even know how the appointments are made. How many people have access to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation? Sometime last year, the leaders of the party asked us to send 50 names, what became of that exercise?
I do not know the criteria the President uses for the appointment. It is not about me getting an appointment, because, even during his presidential campaigns, I always spent my money to lodge in hotels.

Many say that the president is not behaving like a politician going by the lopsided nature of his appointments. What is your take?


President Buhari appears to fit the description of him by former President Obasanjo. I watched a documentary over 20 years ago, and I was one of those who wept when he was over thrown. About six months after he was removed, I saw the direction IBB was going and I wept for the country. I remember what Obasanjo said when they asked him to comment on Buhari, he said, “Well, Muhammadu believed in the righteousness of his mission and his mission was a patriotic one indeed. However, he was only a good administrator and not a politician.” Today I think that description still fits him. President Buhari is a good administrator, he likes efficiency and wants things to be done the right way but we are in a democracy. In the university, we do not teach Nigerian politics in isolation. The course is called Nigerian government and politics and we do not teach government in isolation. It is a basic fundamental course in any political science department. Governance and politics must be balanced. You cannot divorce governance from politics and vice versa. He is carrying out a lot of reforms, but if he doesn’t balance his governance with politics, his reforms will end in 2019, because he wouldn’t be able to return to power. It is like a house without foundation. I am not tongue tied when it comes to appointment because I suffered and laboured for President Buhari to be in power. He should allow people like us to come close to him and tell him the truth in order to avert the impending tragedy. Most of the leaders cannot talk to him, they are afraid even when they themselves are not happy.

What about the relationship between Buhari and Tinubu?
Tinubu’s media aide was recently appointed as a commissioner in the National Communication Commission (NCC); that shows that he is being carried along because he wasn’t or isn’t a politician just an aide to Tinubu. So, for him to have been elevated to that level, it means that he is still reckoned with him. I knew Tinubu from a distance but though at the time, I never had an interaction with him. After I published a book which I dedicated to Buhari, I sent him a memo that I wanted to meet with him, but I did not get any response. I want them to work together that will benefit Nigeria. It is normal to have personal differences but for the sake of Nigeria, they should close ranks and reposition the party. It wasn’t only APC that delivered power to Buhari; the support groups played a very critical role. They shouldn’t think that because they are big leaders, other people do not matter.
Everyone matters, even the person that supported with one vote matters. If today an election is conducted with the way the party and its support groups are I do not think we will win.

The call for restructuring is growing by the day. What do you have to say?


The people who talk about restructuring cannot articulate it. There are various levels of restructuring. There is the aspect of constitutional restructuring, economic restructuring, restructuring the country politically. Some think restructuring deals with the region running the show. If you go to South West today and decide to return the old western region, we would not have Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, Ogun and even Lagos states. We will just have one region; I do not think that the people will support your idea. What we are to do is work more towards developing the country economically. The call for restructuring is also a product of frustration because people are not fulfilled. They feel that if power is taken from the centre and put in the regions, their life would be better. Creating a new layer of government will only add to the administrative cost of running the government. The best thing to do is to restructure the states. The civil service in the various states are bloated; they are not generating any income and yet the little taxes that people pay they are consuming it and now there is nothing to consume. The type of restructuring we need is to make the machinery of governance run effectively.

http://sunnewsonline.com/buhari-has-abandoned-those-that-brought-him-to-power-olufunmilade/

Five Men Gang-Rape Woman In Lagos, Demand N2M

Five suspects, who posed as businessmen, have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly abducting and gang-raping a woman.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects – Ugochukwu Eso, Gabriel Obinna, Chinedu Ezechukwu, Akubueze Nnadozie and Godwin Balogun – used a hotel, which the police did not disclose, in the Agege area of the state to perpetrate the crime.

Our correspondent gathered that 18-year-old Obinna allegedly used a Magic Voice application on his mobile phone to change his voice to that of a woman while communicating with the victim on the telephone.

Using a pseudonym, Vanessa, he allegedly invited her to inspect some non-existent goods in his house.

A police source said the gang’s mode of operation was to lure female customers into their midst, gang-rape them and threaten to blackmail the women with video recordings of the rape unless some money was paid to them.

In the latest incident on Tuesday, August 2, the gang members allegedly lured their female victim through telephone calls to their apartment, which was a hotel, before gang-raping her.

The suspects reportedly demanded N2m to release her, but she later parted with N50,000.

Our correspondent gathered that the victim reported the matter at the Isokoko Police Division and the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, Alausa, after leaving the hotel.

The suspects were, thereafter, trailed to the hotel and arrested.

Speaking with PUNCH Metro while being paraded at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters, Ikeja, on Wednesday, Eso said his gang collected N20,000 from the lady and she willingly had sex with him and Obinna.

He said, “The lady came into the hotel to meet another woman. When she saw us, she became nervous. We calmed her down and told her we were just looking for money to eat and she should give us whatever she had.

“She gave us N20,000 and we began to talk freely in the room. She used some drugs and willingly had sexual affair with me and Gabriel (Obinna). After the sex, we accompanied her to the taxi and we parted amicably. It was not a rape.”

Obinna said, “The lady and I had been discussing on the phone; we were friends. I have a Magic Voice application on my phone which I used to discuss with her. We did not rape her. She did not make any noise during the sex; she was just smiling. We were the ones who put her on a bus. Only two of us slept with her.”

The DSVRT Coordinator, Lola-Vivour Adeniyi, said, “One of the suspects, named Vanessa, chatted with the victim on Instagram. She claimed that she was a graduate and she sold clothes. According to the victim, the fake businesswoman called her from time to time to discuss business with her.

“On the day of the incident, the victim came from Oshodi to the address Vanessa gave her in Agege. As she climbed into the house, reportedly owned by Vanessa, three men pushed her into a room and increased the volume of the television so that no one would hear her voice.

“After the rape, the suspects said she should provide N2m before she would be released. She called some friends and was able to raise N50,000, which they withdrew from her bank account using the ATM. She was held hostage from 12pm to 7pm.

“The DSVRT has directed her to the Mirabel Centre, Ikeja, for a checkup. We worked with the police to ensure the arrest of the suspects and the victim has identified three of them.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who paraded the gang, said the police would charge them to court at the end of investigation.

http://punchng.com/five-businessmen-gang-rape-customer-demand-n2m/

UK Launches 24-hour Visa Service In Nigeria

The United Kingdom has launched super priority visa service in Nigeria to allow customers to process their applications within 24 hours.

In a statement posted on its website, the British high commission said the new service was brought up to particularly meet the needs of those requiring urgent traveling service.

The statement said Paul Arkwright, British high commissioner to Nigeria, hailed the introduction of the super priority visa service in Nigeria.

“I am pleased to see the super priority visa service being launched in Nigeria,” he said.

“This comes with an additional cost but is designed to give greater flexibility to our customers and underlines our strong commitment to improving the visa services we offer.

“We expect this new service to be particularly useful for business. We understand that business opportunities and urgent requirements can arise at very short notice.

“We recognise this and want to facilitate such travel to the UK with this new super-fast service.”

https://www.thecable.ng/uk-launches-24-hour-visa-service-nigeria

Nigeria Should Still Watch Out For Ebola, Lassa Fever’ - Dr. Sadiq

Concerned that Africa, particularly Nigeria, is still vulnerable to emerging epidemics such as the Ebola Virus Disease, Lassa fever, Zika virus and others, a public health expert based in the United States, Dr. Babajide Sadiq, has warned that government at all levels must introduce adequate steps to prevent a re-occurrence.

Sadiq, who is currently the Health Equity Epidemiologist for the State of Texas, said he had developed a strategy called the Evidence-Based Model that would assist the country in checking disease outbreaks.

He said, “The Evidence Based Model in public health is what they use in developed countries. It involves employing the disease surveillance system in Nigeria, data collection and the healthcare management system. Following the absence of a proper health data system in Nigeria, my team and I want to design a good one.

“If we have the model in place, we would have adequate information on certain diseases, epidemics and the region or persons who are most vulnerable to contracting it. Our plan is to run the programme for two to three years in Nigeria.”
Working in partnership with the Bill Gates Foundation and similar non-governmental organisations, Sadiq, who is also the co-founder of Genii ‘Geniuses’ Associates, a global health consulting outfit, said the research would start in communities and rural areas of the country.
Sadiq said Nigeria was chosen to execute the project due to its laudable efforts in checking the EVD. He called on Nigerian scientists in the Diaspora to contribute their quota to the health sector.
“I have worked for the Centre for Disease Control and I have managed over 10 million data sets in Florida. But if everybody keeps saying they don’t want to come back home, who is going to fix the problem?
“The reports from the World Health Organisation about developing countries are not favourable. There are always cases of cholera, malaria, diarrhoea and so on. I have my family members who live in Nigeria and if somebody calls me to say that someone is knocked down by any of these diseases, it would affect me psychologically. I’m working with some experts with over 35 years’ experience.”
The scientist said the organisation was set to convene a health summit in December, which will focus on the management and prevention of disease outbreaks.
“This conference will enable experts from different countries to exchange ideas on how to detect epidemic, how to develop our capacity for rapid diagnosis and how we can develop our capacity for rapid case detection.
“Other aims include contact tracing, disease surveillance, biosecurity and biosafety, detecting biological trace, vaccine strategy and preventive measures,” Sadiq added.

www.punchng.com/nigeria-still-watch-ebola-lassa-fever/

Wole Soyinka Meets With Buhari In Aso Rock

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Thursday met behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari.

The meeting which lasted about an hour was held inside the President’s office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Soyinka was accompanied by a public relations expert, Dr. Yomi Ogunbiyi.



The agenda of the meeting described as a private one was not made public and the Presidency did not issue any statement on it.

As he emerged from the President’s office after the meeting, the Nobel Laureate was visibly surprised to see State House correspondents who were already laying ambush for him in front of the Press Gallery.

“I didn’t come to see you people,” he said as he attempted to break through a barricade set up by the journalists.

When it became clear to him that the reporters would not relent, Soyinka said, “I came to discuss national and international matters, general matters, that’s all!”

When further probed about the details of the discussion, he said he would not divulge such.

Clearly not comfortable with press interview, Soyinka declared, “I will be holding a press conference in about a week. You can ask me any question then, but now, please I will just like to get away.”

With that the journalists made way for him to leave the premises.

http://punchng.com/buhari-wole-soyinka-meet-inside-aso-rock/

We’ve Paid N700bn For Road Projects – FG

The Federal Government has paid about N700bn out of the N2.1tn liabilities for the construction of 206 road projects across the country, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said.

Although the minister was not specific if it was the present government that paid the sum, he, however, explained that out of the N300bn already released by the Federal Government since the 2016 budget was signed into law, his ministry received N102bn.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Communications, Mr. Hakeem Bello, on Wednesday, Fashola stated that the N102bn that his ministry got “has been described as a lion’s share of the N300bn.”

“But it is a lion’s share against our realities and the realities are that we inherited 206 roads under construction and the liabilities for those roads were in the region of N2.1tn,” he added, pointing out that the government had paid about N700bn of the amount.

Fashola also stated that as of July this year, N70bn had been paid out to contractors, project managers and consultants for roads and bridges, adding that with the payment, the various contractors had since returned to site.

He listed the road projects where the contractors had returned to site to include the Kano-Katsina Road, Kano-Maiduguri Road, Ilorin-Jebba Road, Loko-Oweto Road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Port Harcourt-Enugu Road, among others.

In the power sector, Fashola said with the money available, the ministry was working to complete the 215 megawatts Kaduna Power Plant, the transmission line for the Gurara 40MW plant, and the Kashimbilla plant, adding that it was also remobilising contractors back to the various transmission sites.

Recommending fiscal spending as a way out of the current recession, the minister described the 2016 budget size as ambitious, adding that an increased budgetary size would enable the administration to fund the various capital projects that would impact on the livelihood of the populace.

http://punchng.com/weve-paid-n700bn-road-projects-fg/