Failure !! Two powerful people frustrating my husband – Aisha Buhari cries out

Wife of the President, Dr. Aisha Buhari, has claimed that two powerful personalities were frustrating President Muhammadu Buhari’s effort.

Mrs. Buhari spoke at a conference organized by Project 4+4 in Abuja on Tuesday.

She, however, failed to mention the names of the powerful persons.

Wife of the Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Dolapo Osinbajo, also attended event.

According to Aisha, her husband’s administration had “achieved a lot but could have achieved more or even achieved all it had in one year but for two people in government who will never allow things to move fast.”

Aisha said that she was “disappointed in men who rather than fight these two men will go to them in the night begging for favour.”

Mrs. Buhari called on Nigerian women to rise and fight, adding, “I have realized that Senator Babafemi Ojodu, Special Adviser, political, to the President, and Dr. Hajo Sani, and wife of the Vice-President, Mrs Osinbajo, are not comfortable with my saying this and want me to confine myself to my prepared speech but we must say the truth.”

The President’s wife insisted that the powerful duo were retrogressive elements preventing the government from moving forward.

- Daily Post

EFCC files N1.4bn money laundering charge against NBA President

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has filed a criminal money laundering charge against the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Paul Usoro (SAN), with alleging fraud of N1.4 billion.

The charge, marked FHC/L/418c/18, was filed before Justice Muslim Hassan.

December 10, 2018 has been fixed for the arraignment of the NBA President.

In the said charge, the EFCC alleged that Usoro converted and laundered the money in connivance with the Governor of his state, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State.

Udom was not listed as a defendant in the charge, as EFCC indicated that he is “currently constitutionally immuned against criminal prosecution”.

The following people were mentioned in the charge: Nsikan Nkan, described as Commissioner for Finance, Akwa Ibom State; Mfon Udomah, described as the Accountant General of Akwa Ibom State; one Uwemedimo Nwoko, described as the Akwa Ibom State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice; and Margaret Ukpe, all of whom were alleged to be at large.

Usoro, who was alleged to be in connivance with the others mentioned above, conspired among themselves to commit the offence sometime in 2015 “within the jurisdiction of this honourable court”.

The N1.4 billion allegedly converted and laundered by the defendants belonged to the Akwa Ibom State Government.

The offences alleged to have been committed by the NBA President was contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 and punished under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

- PM News

Atiku’s policy plan ‘bereft of people-oriented policies’

Buhari Campaign Organisation (BCO) says the policy plan of Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, is not people-oriented.

The group said this while reacting to the presidential candidate’s speech in Sokoto where he flagged off his 2019 campaign.

Abubakar had claimed that he will run a people-friendly government but the group differed, saying his policy is otherwise when viewed in detail.

The group said it thought that Abubakar’s policy document would blow out the ruling APC but that Atiku did not live up to expectation.

“In the end, it was a non-event. To use a colloquialism it was ‘a damp squib’. If one wants to be kind, the best that can be said about the Atiku Policy Document is that it was rushed out to create a policy platform to mask the real intentions which is to regain power to continue business as usual,” the group said in a statement.

“Let us be candid, it is a wishy-washy, unimaginative and internally inconsistent document. In short it is ‘Disatikulated’.

“Given the relative although unlikely chances of the PDP becoming the official opposition in 2019, it is important to quickly deconstruct its ideas and to do so by way of general comments and some more specific comments.”

The group noted that the document is not original and borrows liberally from other people’s policy documents from within and outside Nigeria. “As such, it is bland and unimaginative and does not specify how the things it hopes to achieve can be done in terms of resources and bureaucratic capacity of the country.”

“It is alright to propose implementing ‘pro-poor policies that will enhance their participation in economic activities and improve household incomes’ Anyone can say that. The issue is how? After all, we in the APC have shown what is possible with our ground breaking Social Investment Programme.

“Apart from showing ignorance about the latest thinking around the positive impact that tackling multi-dimensional poverty has on growth, for the Atiku people to be talking about mere poverty alleviation shows that they are completely insensitive to the needs of ordinary Nigerians.”

- TheCable

Arsenal still unbeaten after 20 games

Arsenal have extended their unbeaten run to 20 games, after they were held 2-2 by Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Arsenal led twice, either half through goals by Shkodran Mustafi and Alexandre Lacazette (Marco Rojo).

But United responded almost instantly. Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard twice quickly levelled to earn a 2-2 draw with Arsenal and offer some rest bite to beleaguered manager Jose Mourinho

Mourinho’s men remain eight points off the top four in eighth place after a fourth straight league game without a win.

Mourinho had opted to leave out-of-form big name stars Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku on his bench and when United conceded first, for the 11th time in 21 games this season, his supporters might have feared the worst.

Indeed, Arsenal’s opening goal featured that rarest of collector’s items, a mistake by United’s Spanish international goalkeeper David de Gea.

Chris Smalling slipped at Lucas Torreira’s 26th minute corner, allowing Mustafi the space to send a free header bouncing into the ground and goalwards.

It looked a routine save for United’s number one but he succeeded only in pushing the ball into the air, two-handed, over his own head and over the goalline, despite Ander Herrera’s desperation clearance.

Yet, as so often has been the case this season, United responded to going behind.

Rojo, playing for the first time this season after a long-term knee injury, unleashed a terrific shot which Bernd Leno kept out at the foot of his left-hand post.

Herrera responded quickly, although replays suggested he may have been fractionally offside, reaching the loose ball on the by-line and turning it into the six-yard area where Martial was able to convert.

That dramatic pattern would be repeated after 68 minutes when Arsenal regained a lead they could only hold, on this occasion, for 74 seconds.

Lacazette played a one-two with fellow substitute Henrikh Mkhitaryan and advanced into the area where Rojo tackled him from behind and succeeded only in turning the ball off the French international and into the net.

But there could be no faulting United’s response as Arsenal panicked at a long ball punted forward, almost directly from kick-off.

Lukaku caused uncertainty in the visitors’ area and as Sead Kolasinac tried to turn the ball back to his goalkeeper, he allowed Lingard to ghost in and complete a simple finish past Leno.

Error-strewn as it might have been, there could be no faulting the entertainment in the first Manchester United-Arsenal fixture since 1986 to take place without either Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger in one of the dug-outs.

De Gea made amends for his first-half error with two fine saves to deny in-form Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with Mkhitaryan also wasting a good close-range chance in between.

Neither Mkhitaryan nor the injured Alexis Sanchez have shone since a January swap deal between the clubs, but only the offside flag denied the Armenian coming back to haunt United in stoppage time when he rifled home after another decent De Gea stop from Torreira.

- PM News

Their trade mark !! Smith accuses police of collecting houses from criminals, drug bandits as bribe

A former Inspector-General of Police and Chairman, Police Service Commission, Musiliu Smith, Wednesday, disclosed to the Senate that the rot in the Police Force had got to a head as criminals and drug bandits give gift of houses to serving policemen.

Smith made the allegation during a public hearing on a ‘Bill for an Act to repeal the Police Act CaP P19 Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and enact the Police Act, 2018’, which held at the National Assembly complex.

The hearing which was attended by the topmost echelon of the Police formation and other relevant institutions of government and individuals, was conducted by Senate Committee on Police Affairs.

Also, Smith opposed plans by the Senate to expunge ‘Force’ from the name of the organisation and retain only Nigeria Police, saying that it must be done appropriately, in line with the provisions of the constitution.

He averred that since what is contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is “Nigeria Police Force”, and not Nigeria Police, it had become imperative for the National Assembly to first amend the Constitution before reflecting it in the bill, else, the name should be allowed as captured in the Constitution.

Besides, he further observed that the Police was poorly funded, a situation he said, was responsible for the poor performance of the institution in discharging its constitutional responsibility of maintaining law and order and protecting lives and property of citizens.

It was on this premise that the former Police boss canvassed for better funding of the Police, stressing that the annual budgetary provisions for the Force was usually grossly inadequate, and would never allow the agency to carry out its duties diligently.

In his words, “I have few observations. One is the name from Nigeria Police Force to Nigeria Police. If the name has to be changed, it has to be done constitutionally. We met a police when all the training schools were working. We met a police where you could not be promoted without writing an examination.

“We met a police where every policeman lived in the barracks. Some policemen are given houses by criminals and hard drug bandits. That need to change. We should think of additional funding source for the police.

“In Lagos State, a governor came into office. He didn’t like what he met on ground. He invited some of us to change what was on ground. That was what gave birth to Lagos State Police Trust Fund. We can’t tackle insecurity without this. Let us think of that. The annual yearly budget ritual can’t help. It will not take us anywhere. If you want a highly motivated Police Force, we should adequately fund it”.

Also, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, opposed plans by the Senate to pass the bill seeking to make it compulsory for the apex legislative assembly to confirm the appointment of an IGP by the President.

Idris even killed led against parts of the proposed bill which would empower the Senate to remove the IGP whenever it deemed it necessary, saying that such provision was unnecessary and would politicise the Force.

Suffice it to say that this was the first time the IGP was appeared before any Senate Panel after his refusal to appear before the Senate earlier in the year.

In the amendment bill, the Senate Committee is also proposing to reduce the number of Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) from seven to one but Idris expressed opposition to the idea, saying that the reduction would make the job hectic for the IGP.

In his words, “You can’t police a people without their consent. The provisions of the Bill are in consonance with the contents of the Criminal Justice System. The confirmation and removal of the IGP by the Senate is not necessary. It will politicise the Police Force. It should be expunged from the Bill. The tenure of the IGP of five years should be maintained.

“The appointment of the IGP in consultation with Police Service Commission is appropriate. There should not be any confirmation by the Senate. This is the desire and position of the Police Force. There should not be one DIG. There should be seven as we have already. Having one will put too much pressure on the IGP. Having seven reduces the workload.”

- Daily Post

Cemetery attendant arrested with human skull

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a cemetery attendant and four others over possession of human skull.

Mr Lawal Shehu, Assistant Inspector-General of Police ( (AIG) in charge of Lagos and Ogun states, told NAN that the suspects were arrested with dried human jaw and dried human scalp on Monday.

“On Dec. 3, 2018, at about 20:30 hours, information received by Zone 2 Command that one Jimoh Adeola, ‘m’ of Muslim Cemetery, of Oke Yadi, Abeokuta was in possession of human parts.

“Detectives of the Zonal Intervention Squad were detailed to investigate and five suspects were arrested while exhibits we’re also recovered,” the AIG said.

Shehu said that operatives from Police Zone 2 Command also arrested three suspected highway robbers operating in Ota area of Ogun State.

He said that on interrogation, the three suspects confessed to have snatched five vehicles, out of which three have been recovered and released to their owners.

According to him, the remaining two stolen vehicles have been sold across the border in neighbouring Benin Republic.

The three recovered vehicles were a Toyota Venza, Honda Crosstour and Toyota Highlander.

- Daily Post

Prepare for longer strike – ASUU tells lecturers

President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, has charged striking lecturers in public universities to brace up for a long action.

Ogunyemi enjoined ASUU members “to be on the watch and prepare for a long drawn out struggle to salvage the university system”.

He made this declaration in strike bulletin No 5 sent to all members of the union, a copy of which was obtained by DAILY POST in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital on Wednesday.

Our correspondent recalls that ASUU had embarked on nationwide strike over unfulfilled past agreements by government and underfunding of education.

Ogunyemi in the bulletin charged members of the union to remain steadfast “and resolute in the face of intimidation or antics employed by government through Vice chancellors and Governing councils to undermine the ongoing struggle”.

He added that, “Government is yet to change its “keep them talking” style and stance as all the meetings held so far with the Minister of Education are yet to resolve any of the demands of ASUU”.

Also, speaking after their zonal meeting held at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso, ASUU Chairman, University of Ibadan, Dr. Deji Omole, said Ibadan chapter has been fully mobilised with her members to ensure the reason for the strike gets actualised.

Omole noted that it is regrettable that the federal government who has not put anything on the table for revitalising the comatose education sector is busy mobilising funds for re-election in 2019.

He, however, appealed to parents not to mortgage the future of their children by fighting for proper and adequate funding of public education.

- Daily Post

2019: Oshiomhole carpets APC governors

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has described some state governors on the party’s platform as poor students of history.

Oshiomhole spoke after receiving the APC women leaders from Edo State and Abuja, who paid him a solidarity visit in his office in Aso Drive, Abuja.

Governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun and Abdul-Aziz Yari of Zamfara are aggrieved that their preferred candidates lost during primaries.

Oshiomhole said, “Those who think our political future is tied to them, they are poor students of their own political history.

“Some of these people who talk as if they are invincible, they have forgotten that they have run elections in the past and lost until they abandoned their parties and joined us. So if they return back, history will repeat itself.

“Whether you are a big or small man, the rules are not supposed to discriminate. Our popularity in Imo and Ogun today is much higher. It is not that once you are a governor you have high electoral value.

“Yes in APC, our governors have high electoral value but we also have a few who are electoral liabilities.”

The former Nigeria Labour Congress President said Nigeria needed to go back to the era where institutions were respected and protected and not powerful individuals.

He added that the actions of the two governors would not affect the fortunes of the party in the elections.

“In Imo state today, APC will win more votes. My focus is on ordinary Imo voters because on that day, the governor would have only one vote, his son-in-law would have only one vote while his Commissioner for Happiness would have only one vote.

“But artisans, traders, teachers and workers whose salaries are not being paid have the same weight of vote and they are excited about the renewed possibility of a new government coming with fresh ideas free of all the encumbrances of the present system. So in Imo I’m very confident.

“Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is from Ogun State. The state is one of the most enlightened States in Nigeria. They have a huge history; they are not in a political kingdom headed by one person.

“If they were looking for true reconciliation, they wouldn’t have done what they did (defection of aides). That is not how democracy works. Nigeria must grow beyond this syndrome ‘I’m the governor, I will decide.’ You have only one vote. With due respect, I was once a governor. Overall APC is much stronger now”.

- Daily Post

Halliburton bribery scandal: Tinubu challenges Atiku, demands explanation

A National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, has challenged the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar on the Halliburton bribery scandal.

Tinubu dared the former Vice President to disclose to Nigerians why Halliburton left the country.

Speaking during the National Consultative Forum themed: “Nigeria on the right track” organised by the National Committee of Buhari Support Groups, on Tuesday, Tinubu said the Waziri of Adamawa should explain why NEPA was privatized to wealthy Nigerians.

The former governor of Lagos State stated that Nigerians have crossed the red ocean and they cannot be taken back to Egypt, Daily Trust reports.

“They said we should not talk about the past. We must look at what you have done before. We have to look at the Halliburton issue. Why do they leave Nigeria? $16billion on NEPA for darkness…

“When they see that we are kicking them out, they rush to privatise the company, what I call personalization of the wealth of Nigerians,” Tinubu said.

- Daily Post