#NIGERIAFORSALE ! FG to borrow fresh $1.2bn from Brazil

The Federal Government of Nigeria has said that it’s seeking a loan of $1.2bn from Brazil to finance agricultural programmes in the 2021 budget.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, made this known during a meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Finance in Abuja on Tuesday.

Ahmed said that a request has been sent to the National Assembly to approve the loan from the Brazilian government.

She said the loan will be used to address issues in agriculture, adding that 100,000 hectares of land will be acquired in each state for food production.

“I request for the approval for loan for the Green Imperative Programme which is for loan of $1.2bn from the Brazilian government.

“The purpose of this program is to address the whole of agricultural value chain from mechanization, production, processing and selling,” she said.

- DAILY POST

Gbenga Daniel reveals Ogun gov’s salary, calls for cut in salaries of politicians

 

Former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel has called for a cut in salaries of political officeholders.

The PDP chieftain also revealed that Sen. Ibikunle Amosun and the incumbent Gov Dapo Abiodun have not bought him a car since he left office.

Otunba Daniel said anybody who rules the state as governor receives N500,000 as monthly salary, and after his tenure, will continue receiving the same amount as his pension.

Otunba Daniel who ruled Ogun State from 2003 to 2011, was succeeded by Sen. Amosun, who later handed over to the incumbent Gov Abiodun in 2019.

The former governor revealed in a viral video that what obtains in Ogun State is different from some states where former governors get houses in Abuja, among other entitlements.

According to him, this he claimed is too much for a former governor as he called for a cut in salaries of political office holders.

Otunba Daniels, speaking on his entitlements as former governor on a Yoruba interview, confirmed that he still receives N500,000 as his pension.

However, he said neither Amosun nor Abiodun has deemed it fit to buy him a car since he left office in 2011.

“Most of the things happening at the National Assembly are not too bearable anymore, especially the money they receive. They should cut it.” Daniel said.

When asked if the same should apply to those in the executive arm, especially the state governors, Daniel replied:

“I don’t know how much other state governors receive monthly, but in Ogun State, it is N500,000 per month.

“I heard there are some states that pay a lot of money as pension to their former governors. In Ogun State, we receive the same N500,000 as ex-governors.

“They said some states do build houses and buy cars for their former governors. Since I left office, nobody buys a car for me.”

He further claimed this might be as a result of the hostile transition between him and his successor, Sen. Amosun.

However, Daniel spoke further that the incumbent Gov Abiodun, who he claimed to have supported to win the election, has not deemed it fit to buy him a car too.

- PM NEWS

Maradona undergoes brain surgery

 

Argentina football legend, Diego Maradona, on Tuesday underwent successful surgery for a subdural hematoma in his brain, a day after he was admitted to a hospital.

Leopoldo Luque, who is Maradona’s neurosurgeon and personal physician, has now given an update to reporters outside the Olivos clinic in Buenos Aires province.

“I was able to evacuate the hematoma successfully and Diego tolerated the surgery very well.

“Diego is under control. He has a small drain [to remove fluid] that we are planning to take out tomorrow. His stay at the hospital will depend on his evolution. But the start of his recovery was great. The way he reacted after the surgery is promising,” Luque said.

According to the doctor, the procedure took around 80 minutes.

Maradona is currently the head coach of first-division side Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata, but has sat out training as a precaution, to avoid the risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 as he is considered in the risk group.

- DAILY POST

Over 20m votes ‘yet to be counted’ in US presidential race

 John Zogby, renowned public opinion pollster and founder of Zogby Strategies, says there are over 20 million votes yet to be counted in the 2020 US presidential race. 

As of 4:30pm Nigerian time, over 130 million votes have been counted for either of both leading candidates President Donald Trump and former vice-president Joe Biden.

Speaking at the US Department of State Foreign Press Centers’ briefing on Wednesday evening, Zogby said more than 20 million votes are yet to be counted.

Most of the votes not yet counted are either mail-in votes, which President Donald Trump has referred to as “surprise ballot dumps” making his win “disappear”.

Zogby said the counting could go on till Thursday or Friday — more than 48 hours after the last ballot was cast in the country.

- THECABLE

#EndSARS: Nollywood actress, Iyabo Ojo cries out over threat message

 

Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo has revealed a threat message allegedly sent from the government for supporting the #EndSARS movement against the now-defunct controversial Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

According to the mother of two in a social media post on Wednesday, she woke up to a message from a friend that her name was being mentioned in government circles.

“So this morning I wake up to a message from a friend in the media, he said someone sent this to him,” she wrote.

“Now, if you are close to Iyabo Ojo, advise her to calm down. Smart celebrities who have brains don’t take on governments ooo. I was somewhere and her name was mentioned.”

Are we now threatened to silence?”, she asked.

Iyabo who had been a supporter of the #EndSARS campaign, also vowed never to support any politician from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

- PM NEWS

Report: FG freezes bank accounts of #EndSARS promoters

 

The federal government has been accused of freezing the bank accounts of individuals who promoted the #EndSARS protests.

For 13 days, Nigerians across the country poured into the streets to protest against police brutality.

The protests resulted in the disbandment of the special anti-robbery squad (SARS) unit of the police.

But two weeks after the protests, there are allegations of clampdown by the government on those who promoted the campaign.

Some #EndSARS promoters, in a report by The Punch, said their banks informed them that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directed that their accounts be frozen.

The apex bank reportedly instructed banks to place a “Post No Debit” restriction on the accounts.

Bassey Israel, a pharmacist, who was in charge of the #EndSARS medical team in Port Harcourt, reportedly said his account with Access Bank marked 003397XXXX has been frozen since October 15.

“I am in charge of End SARS medical team in Port Harcourt and we had people donating for medical supplies, food, water, ambulance services and these donations were made directly into my account and of course these donations had End SARS descriptions so I think that was how they were able to flag my account,” he was quoted to have said.

“I noticed that on October 15, I was trying to make a debit transaction on my account and noticed that there was a restriction.

“So, I called the bank and I was told that there was indeed a restriction but I should go to any branch near me and when I did so, the branch manager sent a mail to the branch where I opened the account. The response to the mail was that there was a directive from the CBN to restrict the account.

“The lady was surprised and even asked me if I had any issue with the CBN and I responded that if I had any issue with the CBN, I wouldn’t be in the bank in the first place, I would be on the run. I asked what could be done and she gave me no answer. She had to  show me the mail on her computer which I read. It was directly from the CBN and it read, ‘Place this account on PND.”

The newspaper reported that other #EndSARS promoters were facing the same challenge.

On Sunday, Modupe Odele, an #EndSARS advocate, narrated how she was stopped from travelling out of the country by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).

The lawyer said she was detained and her passport seized.

The federal government was also alleged to have placed the names of #EndSARS protesters on a no-fly list — but the government has denied the allegation.

- THECABLE

El-Rufai, Fayemi insincere, APC used restructuring to win votes for Buhari – Onabanjo

 

Prof. Babs Onabanjo, President of A.D. King Foundation, has accused Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) of changing the narratives of restructuring.

He accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of riding on the agitation to amass vote for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

In a statement on Tuesday, the don said political class in Nigera has gained proficiency not in providing good governance but in pulling the wool in the eyes of the electorates.

The former President, Nigerian Alliance for Democracy, recalled that in 2017, the APC “made an attempt to hijack the issue with the inauguration of the El-Rufai restructuring committee on Thursday 10th August, 2017”.

He said at the end of the sitting, several recommendations were tabled before the leadership of the ruling party.

Onbanko asked the Kaduna helmsman to explain what has become the report of his committee since submission long before the 2019 election.

“It is quite unfortunate that Governor El-Rufai lends himself to be used for these horrendous tasks. You can then imagine my surprise to read that Governor El-Rufai has finally woken up again to the restructuring debate.”

Onabanjo noted that on November 1 at the 50th anniversary of the Centre for Historical Documentary and Research, El-Rufai stated that restructuring is inevitable.

The professor added that if El- Rufai must be taken seriously, he should promote regional restructuring and autonomy rather than state restructuring.

He warned that narrative for restructuring should not used to protect the status-quo which is not equitable and lopsided.

Onabanjo stressed that true federalism and genuine restructuring should never be state based but rather regional.

The don said regions can then determine the appropriate number of states within each region and the economic viability of the proposed state within their regions.

“And to Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who is now proclaimed as the adopted son of the north, he should note that restructuring only means one thing to the Yoruba nation and the progressives – Regional autonomy, nothing less. Dr. Fayemi and Governor El-Rufai must not change the narrative”, the statement added.

- DAILY POST