EXECUTIVE YAHOO BOY !! Saraki’s houses in Lagos seized by EFCC

Some houses belonging to the Nigeria’s Senate President, Bukola Saraki, have been seized in Lagos by the country’s anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The houses are located at 15a, 15b and 17 MacDonald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

According to Sunday Punch, the EFCC was said to be unsure of which of the properties actually belong to the Senate President and decided to place inscriptions and stickers on all of them.

While 15a and 15b were declared by Saraki in his asset declaration form, it is believed that some other houses on the street were bought by the Senate President from the Presidential Implementation Committee for the Sales of Government Property through shell companies.

A relative of Saraki, who reportedly preferred anonymity, told Punch correspondent that the houses were seized on Friday.

“The EFCC had been making inquiries into the finances and assets of Saraki for quite some time. They came to inscribe ‘EFCC, Under Investigation’ in red on the walls and the fences. The irony is that even houses that don’t belong to Saraki were marked.

“From what we were told, they are keeping him under strict surveillance ahead of May 29, 2019 when they may invite him,” he reportedly said.

The EFCC had, while presenting evidence against Saraki before the Code of Conduct Tribunal in 2016, alleged that he owned houses on MacDonald Road but there were discrepancies in the addresses.

The EFCC witness, Michael Wetkas, had said investigation revealed that House No. 15 MacDonald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, and Block 15 Flat 1 to 4 on the same street belonged to Saraki.

According to him, the Senate President bought the properties from the Presidential Committee on Sale of Federal Government Landed Properties in Lagos through his companies, adding that the he made a bank draft in the name of TYNITY Company Limited, which was declared in the asset declaration form.

But the witness noted that when the EFCC investigation team wrote to the presidential committee seeking clarification, the committee said from their records, the only property sold to the company was No. 15 Macdonald Street, Ikoyi.

- PM NEWS

I removed my womb to have a life again – Actress Nse Ikpe Etim

Nigerian actress, Nse Ikpe Etim has made a shocking revelation on why she won’t be able to bear her own child.

The multi-award winner revealed that she was diagnosed with a condition called Adenomyosis which implies that the inner lining of her uterus breaks through the muscle wall of the uterus which left her with the only choice of removing her womb in order to leave a normal life.

She said: “I was told I couldn’t have kids. And so, I had to have a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) to make me have a life again and to stop going through what I was going through. And I’m literally telling women and men, it really doesn’t matter if you can’t bear children. What really matters is what you would do for the world, for the universe.”

Nse disclosed these at an event tagged “Conversation With Nse”, held in Lekki.

On her husband reaction to the unfortunate report, Nse said “Tears dropped and then my husband squeezed my hand. It was reassuring there was someone there and it was telling me that this is reality, my reality.”

Nse further admitted that she fell into depression at some point, knowing that it is a necessity to have a child as an African. However, she thank God and Nollywood that online trolls has been unable to break her.

“I didn’t think there was any point anymore because my society taught me that I have to be a mother to be appreciated and every time I went online, I would have one troll or two say ‘you never born? But I’m thankful that that didn’t break me. I’m thankful for Nollywood.”

- PM NEWS

BABIALLAH ECONOMY !! SHOCKER: These 28 states cannot fund their 2019 budgets with two-year revenue

Data made available by the Nigeria Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has shown that 28 states would be unable to fund their 2019 budgets from revenue realised in 2018 and 2017.

The information, which was made available in the NEITI quarterly review.

The eight states that would be able to fund their 2017 and 2018 revenue are Enugu, Kaduna, Delta, Yobe, Lagos, Kano, Nasarawa and Rivers.

According to the data, only Yobe can fund its 2019 budget from the disbursements it received from the federation accounts allocations committee (FAAC).

A drop in oil prices also affected FAAC disbursements as the three tiers of government were unable to share N2 trillion in the first quarter of 2019 as was the trend since the second quarter of 2018.

“Oil prices experienced a downward spiral from November 2018. Oil prices were above $80 per barrel in October 2018 but by December 2018 they had dropped to $57 per barrel.

“Average oil price for the first quarter of 2019 was $63.17 per barrel. The average oil price for the year 2018 was $71.06 per barrel. Thus, oil prices have been considerably lower in the first three months of 2019 than they were in 2018,” NEITI said in its review.

NEITI described the budgets of states as being “largely too optimistic” adding that there are wide disparities in the net FAAC disbursements to states.

“This review showed that budgets for states are largely too optimistic. There is no state whose net FAAC disbursements in either 2017 or 2018 can adequately finance their budgets for 2019,” it said.

“This highlights the critical gap in the ability of FAAC disbursements to finance state budgets and brings into focus the importance of internally generated revenue (IGR). It also shows the inevitability of borrowing by states.”

- THECABLE

EFCC arrests ATM fraudster

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Makurdi Zonal Office, has arrested one Ikechukwu Sunday Onovo, a 32-year-old suspected money transfer fraudster at one of the new generation banks in Otukpo, Benue State.

The commission in a statement said he is an indigene of Nkanu-west Local Government of Enugu State, but resides in Makurdi.

“Onovo’s method includes going to Benue State University Gate to report to the security that he lost his ATM card.

“The unwary security men would then hand over the pack of lost but found ATM cards of students to him to check if his own was among. And he would steal some of the cards.

“With the stolen cards, Onovo would hang around ATM points to offer help to people who have problems operating the machine and in the process, deliberately gives his victim his stolen card and takes his or her own.

“He will later go back to withdraw all his victim’s money”, it reads.

Onovo disclosed that he has made more than N1million through the fraud.

He pointed out that there were so many other young men in the crime, who are operating in different locations in the country.

At the point of his arrest, the EFCC recovered two ATM cards, N15,000, ring, necklace and bracelets from him.

EFCC added that he will soon be charged to court.

- DAILY POST

HERDSMEN KILLING !! Buhari ‘pampering’ Miyetti Allah – Gani Adams explodes

The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has warned President Muhammadu Buhari against treating the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) with kid gloves.

Adams, in a statement on Sunday, said the Buhari Government should realize the fact that the spate of insecurity in the country is alarming and should stop favouring a section at the expense of others.

Lamenting the atrocities allegedly carried out by herdsmen, Adams noted: “In Akokoland, in Ondo State, which happens to be my hometown, there were series of attacks and kidnapping that had been raging and still on the increase.

“People have been killed, and kidnapped at will, and the situation still continues till the present moment.

“Last year, Chief Olu Falae’s farm was invaded and destroyed by this group of herdsmen; Chief Alani Akinrinade also suffered the same fate. In Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, a prominent Yoruba son lost several millions to the activities of these killer herdsmen’

“Several other people in the South-West had had the bitter experience. A situation whereby an Oba in Akokoland, and a lecturer from Obafemi Awolowo University were kidnapped along Ilesha-Ife road, and released after paying huge five million naira as ransom is pathetic and not too good for the nation”.

The Aare Onakakanfo, also urged the Federal Government, to as a matter of urgency, extend the new security arrangement to other zones assuring that, in South-West, there are groups that are keen to support government’s initiatives on reducing insecurity.

He, however, commended President Muhammadu Buhari on his views about true federalism.

“With the new situation, I think Mr. President has an idea of what we have been saying all these days about true federalism and restructuring. Nigeria’s problems can only be solved with true federalism’, he said.

“Many of the problems plaguing our nation, especially, insecurity can be addressed through federalism. For example, if all the regions develop at their own pace, every other issues, including security, power, and health would be taken care of at the state level’.

“The President will be in the best position to coordinate the affairs, and efforts could be made to get the country back on the right track.”

- DAILY POST

Naira Marley, Zlatan Ibile, Rahman Jago, others going to court from detention – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has provided an update on the arrest and detention of rising artistes, Naira Marley, real name Afeez Fashola and Omoniyi Temidayo Raphael aka Zlatan Ibile.

They were arrested along with Tiamiu Abdulrahman Kayode aka Rahman Jago, Adewunmi Adeyanju Moses and Abubakar Musa.

Tony Orilade, EFCC Head of Media, told DAILY POST on Sunday that the suspects were still in detention and will be arraigned soon.

“They are still with us and expectedly will be arraigned in court this week. No date has been fixed yet but as soon as I confirm, I’ll let you know”, the spokesman said.

In a statement on Friday, EFCC explained that the accused were picked up in “connection with alleged case of internet fraud and money laundering. Intelligence report had also linked them to cybercrime offences”.

“Their arrest followed an early morning raid on Friday, May 10, 2019, at 9, Gbangbola Street, Ikate, Lekki, Lagos.

“At the point of arrest, the Commission found and recovered a number of items, including laptops, from the suspects.

“They have so far volunteered useful information about their involvement in the alleged criminal activities, even as investigations continue.”

Marley, some days ago, called on Nigerians to pray for Yahoo boys rather than condemn them.

In a viral video, the “Issa goal” crooner said Yahoo boys are the reason money circulates to the common man.

- DAILY POST

Africa’s glorious day as Salah, Mane, Aubameyang win Golden Boot

The race to be crowned the English Premier League’s leading scorer this season ended in a three-way tie on Sunday as the African trio of Sadio Mane, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mohamed Salah shared the Golden Boot.

Gabon forward Aubameyang scored twice for Arsenal at Burnley to join Salah and his Liverpool teammate Mane, who netted a final-day double against Wolves, on 22 goals for the Premier League season.

Sergio Aguero, of champions Manchester City, was next in line with 21 goals.

Salah has now won the award two seasons in a row but this term’s winning tally was the lowest by players in English football’s top-flight since 2010/11 when Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez shared the Golden Boot with 20 goals apiece.

Aubameyang was delighted to be a member of an all-African trio of winners, saying in quotes reported by the BBC: “I share this trophy with two other guys I like, great players and African. We are representing Africa, that’s cool.

“I am happy we won, and I am sharing this trophy with two other guys I like.

“My teammates knew about the Golden Boot, I said nothing. I did not want them to play and only focus on me. I am a team player.”

For Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp there was the satisfaction of knowing he had a played a part in the careers of all three of this season’s Golden Boot winners, having signed Aubameyang from Saint-Etienne in 2013 when he was in charge of Dortmund.

“Auba too? Do they have three boots?” said Klopp, who suffered the last-day heartache of seeing Liverpool finish just one point behind City.

“It is good. They are all my players,” the German added.

Salah scored 32 league goals last season, a record for a 38-game Premier League campaign.

The 26-year-old is the sixth player to win the Golden Boot award in consecutive seasons.

- PM NEWS

PL : Liverpool must be “close to perfection” next season, Klopp says

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on Sunday hailed his team for their “unbelievable season” but said they would need to be “very, very close to perfection” next season.

The German said perfection would be needed if they were to go one better next term and beat Manchester City to the English Premier League (EPL) title.

Liverpool ended the campaign with a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield on Sunday.

But with Manchester City winning 4-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion, Klopp’s side’s 97-point haul was only being good enough for runners-up spot.

The German said his team, beaten only once in the Premier League campaign, would be ready for another challenge next season.

But he added that he did not expect any drop off from the Abu-Dhabi-owned Manchester City.

“As long as Manchester City are around with the quality they have, the power, the financial power and that stuff, then it’s not any other team that will pass them easily. That’s clear,” said Klopp.

“So, we need to be very, very, close to perfection to win the Premier League as long as this is the case,” he added.

Klopp, who took over at Liverpool in 2015, said he was sure that this season, for all his team’s progress, was by no means the best it could get for the Merseyside club.

“We have made unbelievable big steps and I expect more to come. What that means in the end I don’t know,” he said.

Liverpool have not been English champions in the Premier League era, which began in 1992/1993, with their last triumph coming back in 1990 in the days of the old “First Division”.

“People will tell us now that it is 30 years or whatever but they have bigger problems to be honest, the people who say that, or the clubs who say that. We will go again,” said Klopp.

He suggested this was the first real title bid the Anfield club had made since he took charge.

The German also noted that as well as their points tally they had also fought to reach the Champions League final, where they face Tottenham Hotspur on June 1.

“This year we tried for the first time (to win the Premier League title) and I really think that it was quite impressive for the first time.

“On this road, to qualify for the finals of the Champions League, it is pretty special.

“This team is one of the best that ever played for Liverpool, 100 per cent. But we play in a league with other very good teams. That is what we must accept, and we do accept. No problem.

“We will go again, but give me a few hours to get over that today,” he added.

“We feel it. It is disappointing, it is not a wonderful moment. But we (will) have enough time to see and feel how brilliant the season was.

“It was brilliant, 97 points is incredible and only because Manchester City are there (that) it is not enough.

“In any other country it would have been easily enough. But that is how it is, no problem. That is the competition we are in, it is not the competition of 30, 20, 10 years ago. It is completely different.”

- PM NEWS

GANDOLLAR ! Ganduje must reject fat pensions, luxury cars-for-life for Kano lawmakers – SERAP

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an open letter to Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, urging him to use his good offices and position to publicly reject a bill for life pensions and brand-new vehicles for lawmakers, passed by the Kano State House of Assembly.

He urged Ganduje to prevail on the members of the House to immediately drop the bill, and to honour their fiduciary duties imposed by the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Nigeria’s international anti-corruption obligations.

The organization urged Ganduje to: prevail on the lawmakers to subordinate their own interests to the public good, live on fair and equal terms with their fellow-citizens, and not to use their legislative powers to convert public resources to their own benefit.

“Should you assent to the bill as passed, SERAP will take legal action nationally and internationally to hold your government to account and ensure that you uphold the solemn trust committed to you by the people of Kano,” it said.

In the letter dated 10 May, 2019 and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “This bill represents law-making in the interest and personal satisfaction of the lawmakers, which flagrantly offends the principles of legal justice and the rule of law. The lawmakers ought to subordinate their own interests to the welfare of the people of Kano. By passing the life pensions and medical trips abroad bill, the lawmakers have invariably ‘bought at their own sales’, and violated their sacred trust.”

The organization also said: “This bare desire by the lawmakers of the Kano State House of Assembly to pass a bill to award to themselves life pensions, foreign medical trips and brand-new vehicles every four years is oppressive, and violates the obligation of impartiality to the people of Kano they are elected to serve and the ideals of fiduciary government. The bill, proposed by Baffa Baba Dangundi, is a textbook case of diversion of public resources to private purposes.”

The letter read in part: “Rather than passing bills to divert public resources for personal benefits, the lawmakers should pass legislation that will urgently address the chronic problem of over 3 million out-of-school children in Kano (the highest in Nigeria) and ensure immediate payment of outstanding pensions and workers’ salaries, given that your government has already received N21.7 billion from the Paris Club debt refund, and also reportedly received in 2018 N84.2billion from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC).

“Government is a trust for the benefit of the governed, and members of the Kano State House of Assembly ought to be guardians of justice, general good and public interests. There is indeed a duty on the lawmakers to subordinate their own interests to those they are supposed to serve. But rather than acting as the ‘servants of the people’, the lawmakers have acted in a self-serving way and pushing to enrich themselves at the expense of the people of Kano.

“All public officials including lawmakers must act consistently with the purposes of the governmental trust: the good of the people and the security of their persons, liberty, and property. The purpose of any government–whether federal or state—is to promote the interest of the entire society, in this case, the people of Kano, and not the interests and welfare of a few in the House of Assembly. The lawmakers should pursue the happiness and prosperity of the Kano people with fidelity.

“If assented to, the bill would lead to a misuse of trust property and threaten to affect the welfare of the people of Kano by diverting public funds from development and provision of access to quality education, clean water and healthcare to the personal benefits of members of the House of Assembly.

“Assenting to the bill would also have serious consequences for the people of Kano and would breach your fiduciary duties including your duty to take reasonable care in the management of public funds and the duty to account. This means that you should strive to work in accordance with the purposes of your offices, and to manage public funds competently and for the public good.

“SERAP therefore urges you to be loyal to the public interest by rejecting the bill and prevailing on the members of Kano State House of Assembly to immediately drop the bill. By doing this, you will follow in the footsteps of your Bayelsa State counterpart, Seriake Dickson, who recently turned down a bill seeking life pension for the state’s serving and former lawmakers.

“Rejecting the bill would also mean you will uphold the solemn trust committed to you by the people of Kano, and the fiduciary duties imposed on your government by the Nigerian Constitution and Nigeria’s international obligations and commitments.

“SERAP notes that the proposed bill gives the presiding officers the privilege to earn life benefits following the expiration of their tenure. In addition, the officers would enjoy medical trips once in 12 months and choice vehicles every four years.

“According to the bill, ‘There shall be paid pension to person(s) who held office as speaker and deputy speaker equal to the emoluments of a serving speaker and deputy speaker. The speaker and deputy speaker shall, on completion of their terms, be entitled to a grant of pension for life by the state.

“The bill also provides that ‘there shall be provided for the speaker and the deputy speaker a brand-new vehicle to be bought by the state government every four years. There shall be provided for the speaker and the deputy speaker medical expenses either home or abroad depending on the nature of the illness.”

- PM NEWS

Tithing : Daddy Freeze challenges Oyedepo to Bible contest

Critic, Daddy Freeze has called out the Presiding Bishop, Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo for a scriptural debate on payment of tithes.

Freeze was reacting to Oyedepo’s statement that he now carted his tithe to God in trailer loads.

According to Oyedepo, “you don’t have to steal to shine, you don’t have to rob to prosper. If it is pastoring/founding a church that makes people prosper, there are many pastors/church founders who are paupers.

“You can’t go up except by tithing. From 1982 till date, my tithe hasn’t failed once; now I cart it to God in trailer loads.”

Freeze berated the bishop for saying that he now carted his tithes to God in trailer loads, lamenting that many church goers had itching ears.

“The bishop said he is carrying his tithes to God in trailer loads, it is what you want to hear, it is what the church wants to hear. It is what your itching ears are itching for. The concept of tithing is flawed primarily because there is no scripture that said Christ collected it.

“If Christ did not collect tithes and our first GOs did not collect it, why are we. Those who preach the Malachi doctrine are putting you under the law and sinfully so. The Malachi tithing system is dead. It rebuilds an old system of law that is cursed and put Christ to humiliation.

“Bishop sir, I think it is an opportunity for us to dialogue on this. We did not agree with your stance that you are paying your tithes to God in trailer load. It does not make sense to us in our opinion. It does not mean we are going to be rude to you, and if we are ever rude to you in the past, please forgive us. As Christians, we want to argue persuasively and establish our doctrine in Christ, not in mammon, not in church establishment, not in what we have,” he said in a video on You tube.

- PM NEWS

FAILURE !! Buhari: How I plan to tackle unemployment

President Muhammadu Buhari, ahead of his second term, says his administration will tackle the challenge of unemployment through the tool of education coupled with a “matrix of initiatives”.

He was speaking at the 13th convocation for the conferment of higher degrees, postgraduate diplomas and honorary degrees at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra state on Friday.

Buhari, who was represented by Anthony Anwuka, minister of state for education, said the federal government will seek adequate funding for the education sector as it is important for the country’s socioeconomic development.

He urged recipients of the various degrees to utilize some initiatives and programmes put in place by the federal government as more priority will be given to education.

“Let me at this point restate the conviction of the federal government that education is the bedrock of the socioeconomic development of society. Consequently, within the limits of available resources this government will continue to give a primary of place to education,” he said.

“The federal government will remain undaunted in tackling the challenge of youth unemployment and underemployment through a matrix of initiatives.”

The president listed such initiatives to include N-Power, the Bank of Industry Youth Entrepreneurship Support (YES) programme and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Bank of Agriculture (BoA) support schemes.

“As part of its continuing efforts to stave off the menace of youth employment, government has put in place a number of initiatives to boost the employability of graduands of our tertiary institutions, either as employees or in self-employment,” he said.

“These initiatives include, but not limited to, the Energising Education Programme,  through the Rural Electricity Agency, the intent of which is, inter alia,  to provide captive power plants for selected tertiary institutions, thus providing them with much needed uninterrupted power supply; and the Skill G project by TETFund which provides computers, laboratory equipment and other learning resources to tertiary institutions.”

- THECABLE

2023: Steer clear of presidency – Prof. Nwala warns North, Southwest

President of Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), Prof Uzodinma Nwala has called on the North, Southwest and South South to steer clear of the 2023 presidency.

According to him, it was the turn of the South East because all the other regions have taken their turns to lead the country.

Nwala noted that the zoning formula which was fought for to ensure that every region occupied the office of the President in the country have been messed up.

“I was in the 1993/94 constitutional conference, the first time that zoning was raised. I was one of those that fought for it,” he told Sun.

“The idea was to move the presidency round among the six geo-political zones – North and South alternation.

“The presidency goes to one zone in the North and next time to another zone in the South until it goes round among the six political zones, but you can see that they have messed it up.

“The North has no business asking for presidency in 2023, as the presidency should go to the South. In the South, the Southwest should not look towards that direction as Obasanjo has taken their turn. In the same way, the South-south, as Jonathan has taken their turn.

“It is the turn of the Southeast. But the problem is that if we are not united to decide who should represent us, you find out that they will from long range pick a candidate for us.

“I’m happy with what happened in the last election, the Igbo voted as one people, as they voted for Atiku and Obi. If we sustain this, when 2023 comes, we should be able to determine who will be there for us.

“As things stand now, at the constitutional conference, we were able to forge a national alliance that will make the hegemony take the back seat as minority.

“As things are now, if there is no rigging and the field is left open, there will be a pattern of voting – majority of Southwest, majority in the South-South, majority in Igbo land, majority in Southern Kaduna, majority in the Middle Belt, the Talakawas in the North all of them will vote as one people.

“What is important for us as Igbo is to try and hold ourselves together as a people; president or no president, let us hold ourselves as one people, fight for our own internal autonomy. If we do that they will be looking for us. By right and if things are done correctly, 2023 has to be the turn of the Igbo.

“We should make sure that their agents, who they have empowered and made very rich and who are fooling themselves playing all sorts of devilish politics; we should make sure that there is no place for them as people representing us.”

- DAILY POST