Hopeless COUNTRY ! How religious leaders, politicians stop me when I move to sack corrupt officials – Osinbajo

 
The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo on Monday disclosed that religious leaders usually stop him from sacking corrupt public officials.

He said this at the 24th Nigerian Economic Summit plenary on corruption and rule of law, in Abuja.

Osinbajo stated that most times, Nigerian elites stand in the way of getting rid of a corrupt official.

He said, “I would like to refer to the Nigerian elite, and it’s probably not fair to be that broad, but practically, every segment, because people who have access to you, they could be political leaders, religious leaders, business leaders, whoever has access to you.

“We have a system where people just feel like, ‘why don’t you just give this guy a break?’ Which again is part of the problem. You don’t get one call, you get several calls.”

He stated that President Muhammadu Buhari government was doing so much to tackle corruption and systemic corruption.

Osinbajo stressed that since assuming power, he has seen how much impact corruption can have on a country, adding that its more than he ever imagined. - DAILY POST

LAND Of Impunity ! ‘There’s God o’ — NHIS ES taunts his opponents after barging into office with policemen

Usman Yusuf, suspended executive secretary of the National health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), went comical on Monday when asked to comment on the ongoing crisis in the agency.

In what seemed to be a mockery of Patience Jonathan, former first lady, Yusuf sent a three-worded response: “There’s God o”, to inquiries by TheCable.

Jonathan’s wife caught headlines in April 2014 when she used those exact words in reaction to the refusal of some persons to honour the panel she set up to investigate the abduction of Chibok schoolgirls.

After his phone rang out on Monday, TheCable had sent a text message to him to explain his role in the harassment of workers and allegations levelled against him.

At 7:30pm, Yusuf’s terse response was received.

The executive secretary was suspended by the NHIS governing board last week, but he had argued that his suspension was illegal and that he would resume office nonetheless.

He had said only President Muhammadu Buhari had the powers to suspend him.

On Monday, policemen numbering over 30 arrived at the NHIS office in the Utako area of Abuja, amid a lockdown by workers who attempted to prevent him from entering the premises.

After firing teargas at the protesting workers, the entrance gate which was locked was thrown open with the policemen aiding Yusuf’s entry into his office.

Previous efforts made by TheCable to get Yusuf’s reaction to the crisis, particularly the allegations of corruption which the board levelled against him as well as his suspension, were unsuccessful.

YUSUF’S ‘SINS’

Enantu Ifenna, chairman of the NHIS governing board, had, while announcing Yusuf’s suspension at a press conference on Thursday, accused him of financial infractions.

She had alleged the executive secretary had refused to carry out the board’s decisions on critical issues and “institutionalised” corruption at the agency.

She also accused the ES of allegedly inflating the scheme’s 2018 budget, “fraudulently inflating the cost of biometric capturing machines”, and “attempt to illegally execute N30 billion in federal government bonds”.

The board also alleged that Yusuf carried out unauthorised staff travel “in defiance to council directive”, “superfluous arrogation of project vehicles” and added he has been insubordinate.

Yusuf had said he was innocent of the allegations when Isaac Adewole, minister of health, first suspended him last year. -THECABLE

Sowore picks public health expert as running mate

 

 Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (ACC), has picked Rabiu  Rufai as his running mate.

Malcom Fabiyi, director-general of the Sowore Campaign, announced this in a statement on Monday..

Rufai, a medical doctor and academic who hails from Jigawa state, was pioneer dean of the school of public health at the Federal University, Dutse from 2014 to 2015, the same period he also served as an honorary consultant physician at the federal medical centre in Birnin Kudu.

In his remarks, Sowore said he could not think of any one more qualified than Rufai as his running mate. The presidential candidate said Rufai would help reform the country’s health sector.

“Health is Wealth – and in our government, Dr Rufai will be responsible for ensuring that Nigerians have access to affordable and world class healthcare and translating that to economic growth,” he said.

He added that the health sector, which is part of their agenda, is a critical one which Rufai is most suitable to spearhead.

“In our bid to work on Nigeria’s multifaceted challenges and proffer solutions that will create a true giant out of our nation, we have always believed that health care, population health and health economics, ranks alongside national security and power, as critical areas that a serious government must address. I can think of no one more qualified than Dr Rufai to spear head that aspect of our agenda.”

Rufai studied at the Bayero University, Kano, and Leeds University, UK. His areas of expertise include maternal and child health services, and medical statistics.

He is a fellow of the West African College of Physicians (FWACP) and also a fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (FRSPH). - THECABLE

85-year-old Biya wins Cameroon’s presidential election again

 Eighty-five-year-old Paul Biya has been declared winner of the October 7 presidential election by the Cameroon’s Constitutional Council.

Biya won the poll with 71.28% of the votes cast beating eight other candidates to extend his 36-year rule of the Central African country to 2025.

Opposition leader, Prof Maurice Kamto who had earlier declared himself winner of the polls came second with 14.23% of the total votes.

Cabral Libii, one of the youngest candidates at the election emerged third with 6.28% of the votes while Joshua Osih, a candidate for the leading opposition party, Social Democratic Front (SDF) come in the fourth with 3.35% — the worst tally the party has ever registered at a presidential vote since 1992.

It was the first time the party fielded a different candidate for a presidential seat other than the party’s chair.

The other candidates individually scored less than 2% in an election marred by low voter turnout in the country’s two predominantly English-speaking regions.

“The election was free, fair, credible and transparent in spite of the security challenges in the Northwest and Southwest regions”, said Justice Clement Atangana, the President of Constitutional Council.

Last week, the council rejected opposition claims that the poll had been marred by fraud and rigging.

No appeal or other legal remedy is allowed against the verdict of the Constitutional Council, thus the president-elect will be sworn-in by November 7 according to the law.

Biya, now to serve 7th term has been in power since 1982 and is Africa’s second longest serving leader. - PM NEWS

C&S Church Prophet arrested for alleged kidnapping

Ondo State Police Command on Monday arrested a prophet for allegedly attempting to kidnap one Omosaye Segun in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state.

The suspect, Mr Godwin Ayenugha, founder of Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Igbokoda, was arrested along with his suspected accomplice, Ibukun Adetigba, NAN reports

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Olugbenga Adeyanju, made this known while presenting the suspect and 11 others to newsmen in Akure.

Adeyanju said that the prophet was the spiritual father of the victim, and had earlier claimed he saw a vision that Segun would be kidnapped.

He said that the suspect allegedly sent a text message to Segun through his accomplice, that some people were coming to kidnap him.

“On Sept. 26, 2018, one Omosaye Segun of Okitipupa who was kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Nov. 30, 2017 but regained his freedom on Jan. 5, 2018, received text messages from his abductors.

“He claimed that they were responsible for his kidnap, and that they were coming back to kidnap him again and that if they eventually kidnap him, they were going to kill him.

“On receipt of this complaint, detectives swung into action and through intelligence gathering, arrested one Ibukun Adetigba and Prophet Godwin Ayenugha, a founder of a church in Igbokoda,” he added.

Adeyanju said that the Tecno handset used in sending the text messages was recovered from them, adding that the suspects confessed to have sent the text messages but denied their involvement in the abduction of the victim.

When interrogated, Ayenugha told newsman “I don’t know anything about his abduction that happened last year, but I only told Adetigha to send scaring text messages to him so that he can come to me for help being his spiritual father.

“Actually I have collected N150, 000 from him concerning the text messages and I gave Adetigha N25, 000.

“The reason I did this is that I don’t have money, not that I wanted to kidnap him.” - DAILY POST

US Ambassador speaks on ‘great corruption’

 The United States ambassador to Nigeria, William Stuart Symington, has said that disregard for justice and rule of law was a more damning form of corruption than stealing of public funds.

Symington said this while responding to a question from the members of the audience after he delivered the convocation Lecture of the University of Ilorin, on Monday.

The US envoy spoke on the topic “Citizen Leadership and the Link between Economic Diversity and Democratic Good Governance.”

He said the task of making Nigeria is that of both the government and the citizenry.

Symington said that patriotism, and transparent service, justice, and consistency were important factors to development.

According to the envoy, “What many consider as the great corruption is stealing of money but what to me is the great corruption is when people are deprived justice, when you do things without regard to the rule of law.”

Speaking on the lecture, the US envoy said the process of making Nigeria great requires a collective effort of all the stakeholders with the citizens working with the government instead of only relying on government for an improved fortune.

The Ambassador said security and other challenges in the country would be surmounted when the citizens unite and work together.

He continued, “One of the most important things that I want you to leave today with is the idea that good governance can only come from Strong independent citizens.

“So, I think the right answer is there is no person who can make Nigeria more secure.

“There was that time in Nigeria when security was not the job of only the soldier and the police, but every village chief and every person who lived in the town were involved.

“There is no police force in the whole world that keep the neighbour hood safe all by itself. If you have such a police force, I would not want to live in that neighbour hood. Every security in the world derives from the support of the people in the place that is insecure.

“If you will have the tenacity to change Nigeria, look around you right now and change the life of one person today. -DAILY POST

Biafra struggle: Nnamdi Kanu sacked by IPOB, for being selfish

 The Director of Strategy and Documentation of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Olisa Mbakwe on Monday announced that its leader, Nnamdi Kanu has been sacked from the group.

Mbakwe said Kanu was fired for placing more value on his dog than those murdered in the struggle for the realisation of Biafra.

Speaking during Sunday’s broadcast from his base in Israel, Kanu mourned his dog and “a few other people” in his compound, who lost their lives when military men invaded the place in September 2017.

Kanu had said during the broadcast, “The Army of the zoo killed my dog Jack and a few other people in my compound. I am sorry for what my sureties are passing through, but I want to assure them that they will have a special place in Biafra. I shall not be honouring the court.”

Reacting, Mbakwe described Kanu as an “insensitive and callous leader that has no value for his own followers but rather his dog, Jack whom he paid tributes to after his long disappearance from the struggle”.

In a statement he personally signed, Mbakwe, of IPOB, also insisted that Kanu was a “traitor not worthy of any leadership position anywhere in the world”.

He stated that Kanu was removed for reasons which included, “personalisation of the Biafran struggle and derailing from the core objectives of IPOB as a grassroots movement”.

The statement read: “On Sunday, October 21, 2018, an individual, Mazi Nnamdi Nwanekaenyi Kanu, claiming to be the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Director General of Radio Biafra made a live broadcast that has left us perplexed, because it is unthinkable that someone will impersonate IPOB to the point of plotting to abuse the organization to hurt the interest of Biafra.

“The strength of the Republic of Biafra that we are struggling to actualize, is in its human resources as embodied in our versatile youths that dominate the fields of play across sectors of human endeavor; the country we have set our vision on creating is therefore not to be made up of tombstones but of people fulfilling their life missions as ordained by God.

“Nnamdi Kanu relinquished his position as the leader of IPOB struggle the day he deserted our members to die, when they had mobilized to stand for our belief in Biafra at his residence in Afaraukwu. Several of our members were injured and some died in that encounter and even after emerging from hiding more than one year later all Kanu could do was to desecrate their memory with his radio broadcast. Nnamdi Kanu vividly, specifically and particularly recalled his family dog, Jack, by name while he dismissed our members that died as mere statistics — he only recalled them as 28 IPOB members.

“Even if Kanu had not deserted, there is no way we would have continued under the leadership of a man that values his family dog more than Biafrans.

“We are not unmindful of how Kanu struck the deal that granted him bail in the first place while abandoning our members, Benjamin Madubugwu, David Nwawusi, Bright Chimezie Ishinwa and Chidiebere Onwudiwe to languish in jail. Instead of using his freedom to accelerate the freedom of these authentic freedom fighters, he rather went about Biafra land receiving obeisance from Biafrans like a monarch, when our dear land is completely republican. The travails of these our brothers are not over yet and might have been worsened by Kanu’s live broadcast, which has totally upset us.

“In line with the decisions earlier announced on Radio Biafra on November 17, 2017 that Mazi Ezenwachukwu Sampson Okwudili is the new director for the radio, we reaffirm that Mazi Nnamdi Nwanekaenyi Kanu remains sacked as the Director of Radio Biafra and has also been removed as the leader of IPOB since he has proven he is not a worthy leader that respects the sanctity of the lives of our members.

“Following interventions by our leaders, considerations were being made to reverse the earlier announcement but after studying the Kanu’s live broadcast from Israel we came to the painful conclusion that we cannot make progress with our vision of Biafra, when one man has completely personalized and commercialized the struggle. The decision to drop Nnamdi Kanu from playing leading roles in IPOB affairs is hereby upheld. We shall announce replacements after consultations with the various stakeholders.” - DAILY POST

2019: Why PDP lacks moral right to ask for return to power – Balarabe Musa

 Former governor of Old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, on Monday urged Nigerians not to vote the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) into power in 2019.

Musa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the country would be worse if the main opposition party was allowed to come back in 2019.

He lamented that the PDP brought Nigerians into misery and underdevelopment under its rule for 16 years which almost ruined the economy with massive corruption.

The former governor said though all was not well with the country under the present All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government, Nigerians should never risk having any hope in the PDP to make things better.

According to him “PDP lacks the moral right to ask for a return to power.

“I do not understand the hype about PDP returning to power. I just do not understand. Return to do what? The party that created many problems for 16 years while they were in power? No way.

“Things are not too good at the country at the moment, but I think the country would be worse if the PDP is allowed to return. We saw what they did for 16 years and they will definitely mess things up further.

“Nigerians should not trust the PDP with power. We will be disappointed. What we need in the country right now is a credible alternative that would deliver good governance and respond to our needs.”

The former governor said Nigerians must be prepared to change the narrative by voting according to their conscience in 2019.

The former governor lamented about the economy being controlled by the private sector which he claimed was ripping off the people with poor service delivery.

Musa, therefore, suggested economic restructuring of the country to bring back privatised public corporations to government control for provision of more efficient services to the people. - DAILY POST

INCESSANT KILLINGS : Gunmen in military uniform kill scores in Narayi, Kaduna

 Several persons have been killed by unknown gunmen in Narayi area of Kaduna State.

The attackers, who were on military uniform, invaded the community early this morning and opened fire on some young men who were guarding the area.

A resident of the area, who gave her name as Ene, told DAILY POST that the young men had mobilized themselves to avoid any intruder from entering the community because of the curfew.

She said, “We could not sleep last night because of the gunshots. Some young men were guarding the major road leading to Narayi to avoid any attacker from penetrating but early this morning, some soldiers in white Hilux van came there and pretended to be on patrol.

“They opened fire and Killed many of them. They left with some corpses but returned to dump three of the bodies this morning.

“The fear is that some youths have mobilized themselves for reprisals. As we speak, the whole Narayi is like a graveyard.” - DAILY POST

I can’t support Osinbajo because of my father, says Femi Kuti

 FEMI Kuti says he can’t support Osinbajo’s government because of his father’s beliefs.

The Afrobeat singer made this statement on Sunday night at Felabration, an annual musical event to celebrate the memory of his father, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

He said the vice president visited him at home.

“Vice President Osinbajo came to me, to my house for support, he’s standing here and I am saying this here, but I told him I can’t support because of my father and he understands but he’s my friend, so he understands,” he told the crowd in attendance.

“He said he wanted to come to the shrine to see what everybody is saying about Shrine and I am happy that he came and saw that we are not crazy here. He said he didn’t know this place was this big.”

During his tenure as military head of state, President Muhammadu Buhari had sentenced Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Femi’s father, to jail for five years.

He was found guilty of illegally attempting to export £1,600 in foreign currency – money that Fela said he had earned abroad.

Various dignitaries attended the week-long event at the New Afrika Shrine including Ituah Ighodalo, senior pastor at Trinity House.

Afrobeat fans trooped to New Afrika Shrine daily to be entertained by artistes.

Some of the acts who entertained fans during the course of the week were Davido, Timaya, Ycee, Reminisce, Pasuma, Reekado Banks, Tuface, Femi Kuti, Made and Simi. -THECABLE

Atunwa, PDP guber candidate in Kwara, forged NYSC certificate

  

Abdulrazak Atunwa, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state, skipped the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and forged certificate of the scheme, according to Premium Times.

Atunwa’s certificate scandal is coming four months after Kemi Adeosun, former minister of finance, was exposed for doing same.

Adeosun has since resigned and returned to the UK where she grew up.

The newspaper said Atunwa, a former speaker of the Kwara state house of assembly, stayed back in the UK after his education rather than present himself for the scheme.

“It is not clear if the house of representatives member presented any NYSC certificate in 2005 when he returned to Nigeria and joined the cabinet of Bukola Saraki, then governor of state,” the report read.

But he is said to have presented a fake NYSC certificate to clinch the PDP governorship ticket. The primary election was keenly contested between Atunwa,  an associate of Senate President Bukola Saraki and and Bolaji Abdullahi, who is also an ally of Nigeria’s number three citizen.

Citing documents Atunwa’s representative submitted to the PDP national secretariat, Premium Times said he claimed to have participated in the mandatory scheme between 1995 and 1996.

“In the forms the PDP candidate submitted, he backed it up with a signed affidavit stating that he will be disqualified if it was found out that any information he presented is false,” the report read.

“The certificate Atunwa is parading carries the signature Walter Oki but the report said Oki was only made the director-general of NYSC in 2002.

“Soyemi Sofoluwe was the director-general of the corps and signed all discharge and exemption certificates during the period. S.M. Dule succeeded Sofoluwe as the DG between 1996 and 2000.

“Rather bear FRN or FORN (code for foreign graduates), Atunwa’s certificate has KWP (a code reserved for graduates of Kwara state polytechnic) as identification mark.”

Liborous Oshoma, a lawyer, was quoted to have said: “This is the most audacious forgery since Premium Times began investigation into NYSC claims of senior government officials and politicians generally.

“Based on section 13 (c) of the NYSC Act, even being in possession of a forged NYSC certificate is already a crime. And then we now have an affidavit that he swore to and walked himself into perjury, another criminal offence.”

But when contacted on the matter, Atunwa said he did not submit any fake document.

“I fully compliant with all the legal requirements to be elected to the office of the governor of Kwara state. I did not submit any unsupported NYSC certificate as suggested by you,” he said.

“I strongly advise that you verify each and every assertion you wish to make. You may wish to make formal enquiries/verifications of all institutions concerned.

“You should also be circumspect enough to authenticate the provenance of any document you may be handed if it’s not from a formal and official source. An organisation such as yours should not fall short of the required legal and ethical standards.” - THECABLE

Nasarawa fire service records 12 incidents, 25 deaths

 The Nasarawa State Fire Service received 14 distress calls and 12 fire incidents that claimed 25 lives within the third quarter of 2018, according to Alhaji Dogara Dalhatu, the State’s Chief Fire Officer.

Dalhatu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday in Lafia that the service also received two emergency calls requiring rescue operations after some people fell into a river.

He said that the 25 persons that died during the period under review perished in a gas explosion that occurred on Sept. 10.

“Because of the volatility of the gas explosion, we recorded 25 deaths but also rescued many other lives,” he said.

The official said that property worth about N3.2 million was lost to fire-related incidences within the period, but disclosed that the fire service saved property whose estimated value stood at N206 million.

Noting that fire incidents were more during the hazy dry weather, he cautioned residents against bushy environments, and also advised them to be extra vigilant.

Dalhatu advised local government and development areas to establish fire stations to reduce incidents of fire outbreaks, or contain them when they happened.

He also advised the state government to establish more fire stations across the state to ease access during emergencies.

The official also advised members of the public to be prompt in announcing fire outbreaks, saying that more lives and property would be saved if the alert was quick enough.

He appealed to government to provide more manpower to handle existing fire stations, and also emphasised the need to train fire fighters on modern ways of handling fire outbreaks.

“The fireman needs special training and constant retraining to adjust to modern trends in fire-fighting.

“There are also modern fire-fighting equipment; our young firemen need to be trained on how to handle them,’’ he said. - PM NEWS

EFCC vs Fayose: What happened in court on Monday

 
The immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, on Monday appeared before a Federal High Court, Lagos, and was charged with N30.8 billion fraud.

Fayose is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside his company — Spotless Investment Ltd — on an 11-count charge of N30.8 billion fraud.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that he, however, pleaded innocence of the offences.

After the arraignment of the accused, the defence counsel, Mr Kanu Agabi (SAN), who is a former Attorney General of the Federation, informed the court of a motion on notice for the bail of the accused.

He told the court that same had been served on the prosecution.

In response, the EFCC Prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, confirmed service of the bail application but told the court that he required time to reply.

Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, consequently adjourned the case until Oct. 24 for the hearing of the bail application.

Meanwhile, following a plea by the defence counsel on the temporary remand of Fayose, the court ordered that he be remanded in custody of the EFCC pending bail.

According to the charge, on June 17, 2014, Fayose and Agbele were said to have taken possession of the sum of N1.2 billion for purposes of funding his gubernatorial election in Ekiti State which sum they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.

Fayose was alleged to have received a cash payment of the sum of five million dollars, (about N18 billion) from the then Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, without going through any financial institution and which sum exceeded the amount allowed by law.

He was also alleged to have retained the sum of N300 million in his Zenith Bank account and took control of the aggregate sums of about N622 million which sum he ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.

Fayose was alleged to have procured De Privateer Ltd and Still Earth Ltd, to retain in their Zenith Bank and the FCMB accounts, the aggregate sums of N851 million which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.

Besides, the accused was alleged to have used the aggregate sums of about N1.6 billion to acquire properties in Lagos and Abuja, which sums he reasonably ought to have known formed part of crime proceeds.

The accused was also alleged to have used the sum of N200 million to acquire a property in Abuja in the name of his elder sister, Moji Oladeji, which sum he ought to know also forms crime proceeds.

The offences, according to the EFCC, contravene the provisions of sections 15(1), 15 (2), 15 (3), 16(2)(b), 16 (d), and 18 (c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011. - DAILY POST