President Muhammadu Buhari Returns To Nigeria.

The Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari on Friday morning returned to the country after 49 days of medical vacation.

He arrived at exactly 7.41am at the Air Force Base Mando in Kaduna State.

The President was received by the Kaduna State Deputy Governor Bala Bantex, GOC 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade, the Air Officer Commanding,Training Command of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshall Christopher Okoye, the Commissioner of police and other dignitaries.

President Buhari after alighting from the Presidential Jet,

Absence of witness stalls ex-Gov. Nyako’s N40bn corruption trial

Former Adamawa Governor Murtala Nyako

The absence of a prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of former Adamawa governor, Murtala Nyako, over alleged N40 billion fraud was stalled in a Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Okon Abang.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the prosecuting counsel, A.O. Atolagbe, told the court that the proceedings for the day was to get the response of the defence to the admissibility or otherwise of some documents.

“Today my lord, is for the response of the defendants to the documents sought to be tendered by the prosecution through the third prosecution witness.”

Mr. Atolagbe, however, said that the witness was not in court because he was on leave and outside Abuja.

He added that since it was just to get the defendants’ response, he didn’t think it was necessary for the witness to be present in court.

Mr. Atolagbe said that they could not call any further witness until the third witness had finished giving his testimony.

He, however, gave the assurance that the prosecution would produce the witness in court on the next adjourned date.

The defence counsel, Ibrahim Isiaku , who said he was holding the brief of Kanu Agabi, SAN, informed the court that he just got information that the witness was not in court.

He added that since no other witness could be called, it was better to continue the matter on the next adjourned date.

The judge, Okon Abang, frowned at the prosecution’s thinking that the matter could go on without the witness present in court.

Mr. Abang said that it was the position of the law that the witness must be in court since the said document sought to be tendered involved him.

He said that the prosecution had failed to give a reasonable excuse as to why the witness was not in court.

“The matter was adjourned at the instance of the defence to enable them decide whether or not they will allow the admissibility of the documents.

“However, the witness is not in court and no reasonable excuse has been given for his absence; even though the prosecution says he is on leave, I do not know whether it is annual or casual leave.

“Moreover, as a witness on oath, that is not a reasonable excuse as the witness must be in court for the defence to argue on the admissibility of the documents ,” Mr. Abang said.

He adjourned the matter till February 20.

Mr. Nyako and his son, Abdulaziz, are standing trial over alleged N40 billion fraud.

The father and son are facing a 37-count money laundering charge, alongside two others, Zulkifik Abba and Abubakar Aliyu.

They allegedly diverted the funds from the Adamawa treasury between January 2011 and December. 2014.

The funds were allegedly diverted through five companies – Blue Opal Limited, Sebore Farms and Extension Limited, Pagoda Fortunes Limited, Tower Assets Management Limited and Crust Energy Limited.

The companies were also charged before the court as the 5th to 9th defendants.

Jegede is now PDP candidate, says INEC

In a judgment lasting three tension-soaked hours, the Appeal Court, Abuja, resolved the controversy surrounding the governorship ticket of the Ondo Peoples Democratic Party in favour of Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, sending the PDP supporters in the 40-year-old state into wild jubilation.

The judgment delivered on Wednesday by the Justice Ibrahim Saulawa-led three-member panel lifted the pall of uncertainty hanging over the governorship ticket that had pitted business mogul, Jimoh Ibrahim, against a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Eyitayo Jegede.

In the landmark judgment, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja by which the Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Ibrahim the PDP’s governorship candidate for the November 26 election in Ondo State.

The three-man panel of the appeal court in a unanimous judgment, upheld the appeal by Jegede, who was earlier dropped by INEC and replaced with Ibrahim, as the governorship candidate of the party.

In a separate judgment delivered by the panel, the appeal court also upheld the appeal by a factional chairman of the party, Ahmed Makarfi, and the secretary of the faction, Ben Obi, against the judgment of the Federal High Court, recognising Biyi Poroye and eight others as state executive members of the party in their various states.

All the three Justices on the panel, Justice Saulawa, Justice George Mbaba and Ignatius Agube, agreed on the decisions reached on the two judgments.

Poroye and others who are backing Ibrahim as the governorship candidate of the party belong to the Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the PDP.

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on June 29, 2016, delivered a judgment recognising Poroye and others as the authentic state executive members of the PDP in their various states.

Subsequently, the judge, in a post-judgment ruling delivered on October 14, 2016, ordered INEC to drop Jegede and substitute him with Ibrahim as the governorship candidate of the PDP in the election slated for Saturday.

Justice Saulawa, in setting aside the two decisions on Wednesday, described them as “highly misplaced and most fraudulent”.

He resolved all the seven issues formulated for determination in favour of Jegede, describing the failure of the judge to grant fair hearing to Jegede, who was not a party to the suit before the Federal High Court, as “violent attitudinal disposition to rule of law.”

He said the judge committed a “grave error by violating the principles of natural justice” which he said required all parties that could be affected by an order of court to be heard before judgment was delivered.

Another member of the panel, Justice George Mbaba, who read the lead judgment on Makarfi’s appeal, also described Justice Abang’s judgment, as a “charade and fraud”.

Justice Mbaba ruled, “The entire proceedings leading to the judgment delivered on June 29, 2016, were, in my view, a fraud and it was intended to defraud the appellants. It appeared to be arranged by the same people who paraded as the plaintiffs and the defendants.

“The first to ninth respondents (Poroye and others) did not have a proper course of action.”

He noted that Justice Abang was “a willing party to achieve an ignoble goal”.

The appeal court held that Justice Abang acted without jurisdiction when he made orders against those that were not parties before him.

The panel also faulted the order granted in favour of Ibrahim on the grounds that the governorship candidate of the Sheriff faction was never a party to the suit and the prayer asking that he be recognised as the governorship candidate was not sought by the plaintiffs.

Justice Saulawa held that Justice Abang contravened judicial principles by granting an order not sought by the party.

He said Justice Abang, having earlier in the main judgment delivered on June 29, ruled that the recognition he granted Poroye and others as state executive members of the party was with respect to the 2019 general election, the judge on his own, in his October 14, 2016 ruling, “targeted his orders at the November 26 governorship election”.

“The court mistook his robe for that of Father Christmas and was handing out orders like Christmas gifts,” Justice Saulawa ruled.

The appeal court also nullified the primary said to have been conducted by the Poroye-led state executive of the Sheriff faction of the party which produced Ibrahim as the governorship candidate of the party in the state.

The appeal court described the primary that produced Ibrahim as an “illegal contraption” with “no legal effect or equitable remedy”, adding that the only valid primary could be the one conducted by the National Working Committee of any political party.

The court also held that the provisions of section 287 on which the October 14 post-judgment ruling was based could not be applied for judgment enforcement as Justice Abang did, describing the proceedings as fraudulent.

The court also dismissed Exhibits B21, B23 and B24 relied on by Abang as inadmissible because they were not properly certified.

Justice Saulawa ruled, “Having come this far. Having resolved each and all the total number of seven issues in favour of the appellant, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), what else should the court do?

“Against the background of the foregoing, there is no gainsaying the fact that the appeal is meritorious and it is hereby allowed.”

But the court said it could not make any “consequential order” because Jegede’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), only prayed the court to allow the appeal and set aside the order of Justice Abang of the Federal High Court and nothing more.

Justice Saulawa explained that a court was not allowed to make an order not sought by parties, adding that Jegede’s prayer in his notice of appeal “is incongruous” with the prayers his lawyers asked the court to grant during hearing.

Justice Saulawa ruled, “The reliefs are incongruous and rather mutually exclusive. It is the law that the court does not grant the prayers not sought by parties.”

The Supreme Court had on Tuesday given the Justice Ibrahim Saulawa panel of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which was handling the various cases relating to the dispute over the PDP governorship ticket in the forthcoming election in Ondo State, the nod to continue with its proceedings.

In two separate rulings,  the five-man panel of the  apex court led by the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, unanimously dismissed the motions asking for a stay of the appeal court’s proceedings and others seeking an order disbanding the Justice Saulawa panel.

The two categories of motions dismissed by the apex court on Tuesday were filed by nine applicants led by Poroye.

The apex court arrived at the decisions when 14 separate appeals relating to the dispute over the PDP’s governorship ticket for the forthcoming election in Ondo State came up for hearing on Tuesday.

Other members of the Supreme Court’s panel – Justices Tanko Muhammad, Kumai Akaahs, Kudirat Kekereekun and Ejembi Eko – all agreed with the lead rulings read by Justice Onnoghen.

I’ll get judgment at Supreme Court –Ibrahim

 Jimoh Ibrahim has reacted to the judgment which ordered INEC to remove his name as the candidate of the PDP in Saturday’s governorship election in Ondo State.

Ibrahim said in a statement shortly after the judgment that he was sure of getting justice at the Supreme Court.

He said there was no way the incumbent Governor of Ondo State, Dr.  Olusegun Mimiko, would succeed himself by planting Jegede  as his successor.

His statement read in part, “I have read the decision of the Court of Appeal delivered today (Wednesday).  We have nothing to lose as the Supreme Court sits on the same case tomorrow. We shall get justice at the Supreme Court and if the PDP wins Saturday election, we shall have our four-year mandate to rule Ondo State.

Jubilation

No sooner had the judgment been delivered than wild jubilation broke out among Jegede’s loyalists in Akure.

 Hundreds of women stormed the INEC office at Alagbaka, in the state capital to jubilate the ruling.

 From Oyemekun Road to NEPA, Arakale, Alagbaka, Isikan, Oluwatuyi, Ijapo, Stadium Road, Hospital Road, Owode, Araromi, and Ilesa Garage areas, hundreds of jubilant supporters of Jegede trooped out singing and dancing.

 The supporters, who displayed posters and campaign banners of Jegede, sang and danced in front of the INEC office while the armed security operatives deployed there monitored them closely.

 Ibrahim’s party secretariat deserted

 The campaign secretariat of Ibrahim was deserted following the ruling by the appeal court.

Our correspondent, who visited the secretariat around 4pm observed that although few cars branded in the posters of Ibrahim were parked in the front of the campaign office, people inside the office were less than 20.

The secretariat of the Poroye-led executive of the PDP, which is some few metres away from Ibrahim’s campaign office, was also deserted.

Poroye, however, said he was confident that the Supreme Court would rule in favour of Ibrahim and the PDP would be the eventual winner of the poll.

 Jegede is now PDP candidate –INEC

Meanwhile, INEC has declared Jegede as the candidate of the PDP for the election coming up on Saturday.

The commission said it took the decision following the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, which ordered it to remove the name of Ibrahim as the PDP candidate.

The Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Agusta Okagwu, made the position of the commission known in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday night.

She said, “In compliance with the judgment delivered today, Wednesday, November 23, 2016, by the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, the Independent National Electoral Commission hereby declares that Mr. Eyltatyo legede (SAN) is now the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party  for the Ondo State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, November 26, 2016.

“lt will he recalled that in compliance with the order given by the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, on Friday,  October 14,  2016 (re-affirmed on October 27,  2016), the commission named Mr. Jimoh lbrahim as the PDP candidate for the governorship election.

“However, with today‘s judgment by the Court of Appeal, the commission, hereby, recognises  Mr. Jegede as the candidate of the PDP for the said election.’’

Demand for postponement

The Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, has called on INEC to provide a level playing field to all the candidates participating in the governorship election.

According to him, this would give the PDP governorship candidate, Jegede, the opportunity to prepare the names of his agents in all the polling units ahead of the election.

Akinmade said the remaining two days were not enough for the governorship candidate to prepare for the election.

He said, “It is only fair that INEC shifts election by 14 days so that Jegede could have enough time to prepare his agents’ list. If the Edo State governorship election was postponed, I see no reason why the Ondo State election cannot be postponed so as to ensure fair play.”

The state women leader of the PDP, Mrs. Easter Ebiwonjumi, who spoke to our correspondent, stated that women in the state were happy about the court’s order in favour of Jegede, adding, however, that there was the need for INEC to postpone the election.

Mimiko reacts

The Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has described the emergence of Jegede as a victory over judicial rascality.

Mimiko, who arrived in Akure on Wednesday night from Abuja, said President Muhammadu Buhari had no hand in the intrigues that led to the substitution of Jegede’s name by INEC.

He, however, said he believed that certain elements in the Presidency were behind the plot. He called on INEC to postpone the poll in order to ensure fairness and justice for Jegede.

He said, “Initially, we thought INEC was under an undue influence from the top. With my interaction with the President, however, he (Buhari) has no hand in it. But certain elements in the Presidency are part of this conspiracy and complicity.”

Also, the candidate of the AD, Chief Olusola Oke, said that the victory of Jegede at the appeal court would benefit his party because it would curb massive rigging in the Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
He said, “We are set for the election and we are set to win. Jegede’s return to the race is to the AD’s advantage. Now, we will have state power checking the federal power because the fear of the people before now was that the federal might could be deployed to design victory for the All Progressives Congress candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu, without any check.
“Now it means that this will not be possible; it means that only genuine results will most likely come out of Ondo State and once that happens, we are confident of winning because we are accepted by the people of the state.”

Culled from The PUNCH

Recovered loot to part-fund N2.69tn 2017 budget deficit

Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma

The Federal Government is proposing to fund part of the 2017 budget deficit of N2.69tn from funds recovered from treasury looters.
The proposal is contained in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework/Fiscal Strategy Paper, which was submitted to the National Assembly.
The Senate had two weeks ago dismissed the 2017-2019 MTEF/FSP sent to it by President Muhammadu Buhari, describing the documents as “empty” and as such should not be considered.
The MTEF provides the basis for annual budget planning and consists of a macroeconomic framework that indicates fiscal targets, estimates, revenues and expenditures, including the government’s financial obligations in the medium term.
The document, prepared by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, also sets out the underlying assumptions for the projections, provides an evaluation and analysis of the previous budget, and presents an overview of the consolidated debt and potential fiscal risks.
In the document, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent in Abuja, the Federal Government is proposing to spend the sum of N6.86tn in 2017, with total revenue of N4.16tn.
It said based on the funding gap of N2.69tn, an effective strategy would be adopted in financings the deficit.
For instance, the government said while part of the deficit would be financed with recoveries from looted funds, the rest would be from borrowings.
However, the document did not provide details of the amount to be borrowed or the recoveries to be used to finance the budget deficit.
It read in part, “Based on the revenue and expenditure estimates, the fiscal deficit is estimated to increase by about N492bn or 22.32 per cent from the estimate of N2.2tn in 2016.
“However, while this remains below the maximum three per cent of the Gross Domestic Product stipulated in the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, it is projected to take a downward turn afterwards.
“The deficit is to be financed mainly by borrowing as well as recoveries of misappropriated public funds/assets.”
The document stated that the government, in consideration of its debt sustainability position, would remain prudent in its borrowing programme.
“Borrowing will be geared towards funding critical capital projects that have potential to effectively increase productivity, and hence, provide mechanism for refinancing the debt,” it added.
The Federal Government had in June this year released the list of recovered loot.
The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had in a statement said that the recoveries were made between May 29, 2015 and May 25, 2016.
The government gave the breakdown of the recovered loot as N78,325,354,631.82; $185,119,584.61; £3,508,355.46 and €11,250.
According to the minister, a separate amount of cash and assets worth over N2tn have also been seized, adding that the assets and cash seized under interim forfeiture totalled $9bn, N126bn, £2.4m and €303,399.
He added that funds awaiting return from foreign jurisdictions totalled $321,316,726.1; £6,900,000 and €11,826.11.

ICPC Arraigns 2 Civil Servants Over N14.8m Job Scam

Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned two civil servants in the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), Mrs Grace Nkoyo Nwauzor and Mr. Okorie Tobias Otubaku before Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, High Court for allegedly defrauding job-seekers of N14.8 million.

The suspects, Nwauzor, a Level 12 officer under Career Management Section in OHCSF, who had been on the run from the ICPC for several months before she was arrested by the Navy while allegedly trying to defraud some of their personnel and Otubaku, were both arraigned by the Commission before Justice Salisu Garba and have been remanded in Suleja prisons.

According to the ICPC spokesperson, Rasheedat  Okoduwa, the duo who are facing a ten count-charge were alleged to have defrauded job-seekers of their monies by offering them non-existent jobs in government ministries, department and agencies in 2012 and 2013.

ICPC, while arraigning them, told Justice Garba, that Nwauzor collected N2, 250, 000 in 2013 from one Matthias Billy Ibrahim, who was an intermediary between her and many job-seekers in contravention of Section 322 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89 and punishable under the same section.

She was alleged to have received N700, 000 from Onyeziligbo Ngozi in 2012 for the purpose of getting employment in a government ministry or department, thereby committing an offence that contravenes Section 10(a)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.

The Commission further told the court that Mr. Otubaku on his part, fraudulently collected N5, 800, 000 in 2013 from Mathias Billy Ibrahim for the purpose of helping him to secure jobs for ‘his candidates’ in some departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

The said money was paid into his Ecobank account, making him to commit an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89 and Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Part of the charge sheet reads, “Nwauzor, being a staff of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation did corruptly receive the total sum of N2, 250, 000 as benefit for yourself from Mathias Billy Ibrahim, through your Zenith Bank account, on account of favour to be afterwards shown to him by securing job employment for his candidates in different ministries and departments of government, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 10 (a)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

‘Otubaku, while serving as a staff in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation cheated Mathias Billy Ibrahim, by deceiving him fraudulently to deliver to you the total sum of N5, 800, 000 through your Ecobank account on your promise that you will secure a job employment for his candidates in different ministries and departments of government which he would not do if he were not so deceived. Which caused him loss of his money, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89.”

The duo pleaded not guilty to all the charges read to them and were not admitted to bail. Justice Garba in his ruling ordered them to be remanded in Suleja Prisons till 1^st November, 2016 pending the hearing of their bail applications.

UN's Opinion on Nigeria's Economic woes

A report from the United Nations has attributed the lack of economic growth in Nigeria to bad leadership.

The report read in part: 

“Nigeria, with a population of over 175 million, is the most populous nation in Africa and the seventh most populous in the world. Her population will be approximately 200 million by 2019 and over 400 million by 2050, becoming one of the top five populous countries in the world.

“Nigeria is one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the world, with over 80 million or 64% of her population living below poverty line. The situation has not changed over the decades, but is increasing. Poverty and hunger have remained high in rural areas, remote communities and among female –headed households and these cut across the six geo-political zones, with prevalence ranging from approximately 46.9 percent in the South West to 74.3 percent in North West and North East.

“In Nigeria, 37% of children under five years old were stunted, 18 percent wasted, 29% underweight and overall, only 10% of children aged 6-23 months are fed appropriately based on recommended infant and young children feeding practices. “Youth unemployment which is 42% in 2016 is very high, creating poverty, helplessness, despair and easy target for crime and terrorism.   

Over 10 million children of school age are out of schools with no knowledge and skills.

“Nigeria’s economy is currently in a recession and it is estimated that government revenues have fallen by as much as 33 percent, which has further resulted in the contraction of the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, by 0.36 percent in the first three months of 2016.

“The vulnerable macroeconomic environment in Nigeria is affecting investors’ confidence in the domestic economy.”

When contacted last night to react to the report, federal government officials said they where not aware of it and couldn’t, therefore, react.

“Despite the fact that Nigeria is a signatory to a number of protocols on sustainable and renewable environment, the country had, over the decades, failed to protect the environment, ecosystem and natural resources. Over-exploitation of natural resources and pollution of the environment, desertification are exposing the population to vulnerability and risks caused by climate change, among others.

“Nigeria is well-endowed with forest resources, accounting for 2.5% of GDP. But Nigeria has one of the highest rates of forest loss in the world. Between 1990 and 2000, Nigeria lost an average of 409,700 hectares of forest per year on average deforestation rate of 3.5% per annum.

“Increase in population, human activities like farming, construction and cutting of trees, use of wood and effect of climate change lead to environmental destruction across Nigeria.” This in turn leads to unpredictable weather, drought and floods. The implication of destruction of the environment includes reduced agricultural productivity, destruction of property and loss of lives.

“Nigeria faces humanitarian and emergency crises of considerable proportions fueled by a combination of factors including climate change, inter-communal conflicts and violence, insurgency, recurring floods, heavy handed tactics of security forces in combating crime and insurgency. The overall consequence is the situation of systematic and chronic internal displacement that has given rise to different humanitarian crises that include the most egregious and dehumanizing human rights abuses.

“Over 80 million Nigerians live in poverty and are affected in one way or the other by the current humanitarian crisis. Available reports indicate that there are over 3.3 million Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, which is Africa’s largest, ranking behind Syria and Columbia on a global scale.

“The major challenges Nigeria is currently facing that constrain her economic growth and social development are lack of good governance, general increased insecurity across geo-political zones in North East, Niger Delta and Lake Chad region in particular.

The situation is exacerbated by the existence of systematic accountability challenges, limited capacities of independent institutions/ commissions and limited accountability at the federal, states and local government levels.

“Nigeria is a deeply divided society considering the plurality of ethnic, religious and regional identities that define her political existence. Since independence in 1960, Nigeria has struggled to build and sustain national integration. For decades, different segments of Nigeria’s population had, at different times, expressed feelings of marginalization, of being short-changed, dominated, oppressed, threatened, or even targeted for elimination.”

Plagiarism of Obama’s Speech: Presidency to expel deputy director from Aso Rock

The Presidency will this week transfer a deputy director, blamed for the plagiarism of U.S. President Barack Obama’s speech, out of the State House, Abuja.

The presidency had on Friday blamed the yet-to-be-named deputy director for the scandal that has embarrassed the Nigerian government.

“Already, a Deputy Director in the Presidency has accepted responsibility for the insertion of the contentious paragraph,” Garba Shehu, Mr. Buhari’s spokesperson, said in a statement on Friday.

“The Presidency wishes to state in the clearest possible terms that it regrets this unfortunate incident and will ensure that this does not happen again.

“This serious oversight will be investigated thoroughly and appropriate sanction meted,” he added.

The official will start facing disciplinary proceedings in accordance with civil service rules today (Monday), presidency sources said.

But he will first be directed to vacate his seat at the president’s office, officials have told PREMIUM TIMES.

The Permanent Secretary of the State House, Jalal Arabi, is expected to query the official and then refer his case to the Head of Service for further actions, our sources said.

The unnamed official has been blamed for tinkering with a speech prepared for President Buhari, plagiarising a famous speech Mr. Obama delivered when he was elected the first black President of the United States.

The plagiarism was first detected by THISDAY Newspaper and Mr. Buhari apologised for the “wrongful insertion”Friday night.

PREMIUM TIMES sources said the official committed the embarrassing act after Mr. Buhari’s speech had already been vetted by officials at the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration.

Presidential spokespersons, Femi Adesina, and Garba Shehu, did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES requests for comments on the disciplinary actions being taken against the deputy director.

The change you desire to see begins with you- President Buhari tells Nigerians

Yesterday, at the launch of a new initiative, 'Change Begins With Me' campaign in Abuja, president Buhari tasked Nigerians to be the change they desire to see as it all begins with them. He said:

"I am therefore appealing to all Nigerians to be part of this campaign. Our citizens must realise that the change they want to see begins with them, and that personal and social reforms are not theoretic exercise. If you have not seen the change in you, you cannot see it in others or even the larger society. In other words, before you ask ‘where is the change they promised us’, you must first ask how far have I changed my ways, ‘what have I done to be part of the change for the greater good of society? Nigeria today is passing through a challenging moment where hardly anything works in a normal manner. Many have attributed this phenomenon to the total breakdown of our core values over the years. It is safe to say today that honesty, hard work, Godliness have given way to all kinds of manifestations of lawlessness and degeneration in our national life. This is why we have among our cardinal objectives ‘change’, which implies the need for a change of attitude and mindset in our everyday life.” he said.

Meanwhile, the president has failed to notice that Nigerians are seeking for political of which only they, who promised such, can give. Why did the APC government promise what they cannot give? In my opinion, this government has failed.

Kuje Prison riot: Boko Haram prisoner caught with 25 phones

Gunfire caused confusion at Kuje Prison, Abuja, on Monday, following a riot by some inmates, who resisted the attempt by prison officials to search their cells for banned items.

It was gathered that security operatives fired gunshots and tear gas canisters to restore law and order and control the rioters.

This happened 11 days after a similar incident in Abakaliki Prison, Ebonyi State, that led to the death of six inmates and injuries to four prison warders.

The Monday riot occurred two months after two inmates, standing trial for culpable homicide, escaped from the Kuje Prison on June 25. The fleeing inmates have yet to be re-arrested.

Sources in the prison said the violent protest was brought under control by the armed squad of the Nigerian Prisons Service supported by soldiers providing additional security cover for the formation.

The incident, it was learnt, caused panic among residents of Kuje community, who believed that the prison was under attack by terrorists.

The Controller of Prisons, FCT Command, Daniel Odharo, in a statement, confirmed the crisis at the prison but said there was no injury or escape by inmates.

Odharo said, “At about 1000hrs on Monday, staff of Kuje Prison carried out a routine cell-search which is a part of the prisons operational guidelines to prevent the breach of security within and around the prisons.

“Some inmates tried to resist the exercise, which led to an altercation between the search party and the inmates. This was quickly put under effective control. No prisoner was injured, no property damaged and the yard is calm and peaceful.”

Investigations by one of our correspondents indicated that the violence was instigated by convicts, who refused to allow  warders to carry out a search on their cells for prohibited items.

One of our correspondents gathered from a reliable source in the prison that during the search, 25 mobile sets were recovered from a suspected Boko Haram inmate.

The source stated, “The incident happened this morning. The warders, who were acting on instructions from the prison authorities, decided to search the cells and seize prohibited items.

“During the search, they found 25 handsets with a Boko Haram suspect. After a search of the convicts’ cells, they moved to the awaiting-trial cells.

“But those men, who saw the warders approaching with some ‘already’ seized items, decided to resist them.  They attacked the warders with stones and every object they could lay their hands on, and in the process, many of the warders were injured.”

It was gathered that after a search, some substances, suspected to be cannabis, were also uncovered in some cells and confiscated.

Another prison source reported that the warders, who were overwhelmed, retreated for reinforcement.

They were said to have opened fire on some of the inmates, during which some of them were injured, though it could not be ascertained if any of the inmates died as some suspected.

“I can’t say the total number of casualties among the inmates, but I can confirm to you that many of the warders were injured,” he added.

The source explained that the inmates resisted the warders because the prohibited items were brought in by warders after being tipped.

He said, “The rot in the Nigerian Prisons Service is serious. The prohibited items that the warders wanted to seize were brought into the yard by the same warders.

“The inmates had been enjoying this privilege through trafficking by the warders. It is only natural that they will fight back, and it is a bad trend for the prisons service.”

It was gathered that the convicts, who were kept in a block called ‘VIP’, were allowed to enjoy certain privileges not permitted by the prison rules and regulations.

Sources stated that against prison rules, awaiting trial inmates were allowed to stay in the VIP block as it was more comfortable.

It was learnt that the dormitory-like block, where the awaiting trial inmates were kept, was congested with poor ventilation while the convicts’ cells were more pleasant to stay.

A source said, “What happened on Monday was that as the officers moved to carry out a search of their cells, the inmates refused and before you know it the situation had degenerated into an altercation between the inmates and the officers with some convicts trying to physically attack the warders.

“The armed squad had to fire into the air and they also released some tear gas canisters to bring the situation under control.”

In June, the prisons service dismissed a female prison officer for smuggling alcoholic drinks into the Kirikiri prison in Lagos.

About two weeks ago, the Federal Government dismissed 23 prison officers for alleged complicity in jailbreaks at the Kuje Medium Security Prison, Abuja, and the Koton-Karfe Prisons, Kogi State.

The Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prison Services Board, at its emergency meeting held on August 11, 2016, approved the dismissal of three senior prison officers serving in Kuje Prison and three other senior officers serving in Koton-Karfe Prison for their complicity in the escape of prisoners from the respective prisons.

In addition, the Controller-General of Prisons, Ahmed Ja’afaru, had also approved the dismissal of seven junior prison officers serving in Kuje Prison and 10 other junior staff serving in Koton Karfe prison, who were also implicated in the jailbreaks.

The officer in charge of Nsukka Prison, Okonkwo Lawrence, and 10 others were also suspended following the escape of 15 inmates from the prison. 

 

Source: PUNCH.

Photos: Six storey building collapses in Abuja, 5 laborers trapped in the rubble

A six story building under construction as a hotel collapsed this morning on 444 Crescent , Citec Villas , Gwarinpa. The incident happened at about 1.00 am. Five laborers were trapped inside and three have been rescued by combined efforts of the Police, NEMA and FEMA. The iron rods used for the pillars gave in like wood and the concrete work were said to be as brittle as ordinary sand. Efforts are still going on to rescue the two innocent laborers trapped under the rubble.

 More photos.

Heavy rainfall cuts off Abuja community

The continuous rainfall in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja that started on Friday to Saturday morning has cut off Kuchiyakwo community from other neighbouring communities in the area.

The heavy rainfall has flooded some houses and washed away the road linking Kuchiyakwo Ecwa Church and its extension in the community.

Some residents of the community who spoke with the NAN on Saturday described the state of the road as devastating and called on Kuje Area Council authorities for immediate action.

Mr Abraham Gado, a resident whose house was flooded, attributed the havoc to lack of standard drainage.

“The district head and some stakeholders of the community have had series of meetings to find a lasting solution to this without result.

“The road has no drainage and some have built their houses very close to the road instead of giving some space.

(Photos) Rihanna almost revealed all as she left a London nightclub

In the early of today, Rihanna left a London nightclub and almost revealed all her assets.

Of course, fans will always be thrilled to see the superstar's assets, she's irresistibly beautiful, isn't she? At least, to some people's.

The 28 year old superstar, wore a super short ripped denim skirt – but it was her jacket that stole the show.

See Photos below:

Arms deal: Six firms to pay N2.4bn tax, 20 face probe

According to report, there are indications that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has started an investigation into the activities of 20 companies recommended for further probe by the third arms scam report.

It was gathered on Thursday in Abuja that no fewer than six of the companies would pay a total of N2.4bn as withholding tax for defence contracts between 2007 and 2015.

The investigation of the companies and the payment of the withholding tax were part of the recommendations made by the Presidential Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment in the Nigerian Armed Forces in its report, a copy of which was obtained by The PUNCH on Thursday.

It was  gathered that  the EFCC had pencilled down seven chief executive officers and four former top civil servants  as the first set of people to be interrogated before the end of the month as part of its investigation into  the firms.

It was learnt that they would be quizzed over N381bn that  was allegedly spent illegally on arms procurement from 2007 to 2015.

The  companies’  heads  include the  Chief Executive Officer of  Doiyatech Comms Ltd; Mr. Amit Sade (an Israeli); and Naom  Sade, who is also a director  of the company;  CEO of Bamverde Ltd,  Col. Olu Bamgbose (retd.);   CEO, Dalfam Nigeria Ltd,  Alhaji Bello Mohammed;  CEO, Baram International Nig., Alhaji Gujja Attom; and the CEO of  SEI  Nigeria Limited, Hima Abubakar.

It was gathered that those in the first batch of individuals to be interrogated included a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Alhaji Aji Goni (also formerly the Head of Service); a former Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Jona Otunla;  an ex-Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Usman Sanusi, and another former Permanent Secretary, E.O. Oyemomi.

The Punch source in the EFCC, “All those listed in the first batch will soon be invited to tell the commission what they know. They have questions to answer relating to the contracts.”

The PUNCH gathered that the commission had started the process of recovering the N2.4bn withholding tax from six of the 20 companies.

The Air Vice-Marshal Jon Ode-led panel had last month submitted the third interim report to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The President subsequently gave the EFCC approval to investigate two former Chiefs of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen Azubuike Ihejirika; and Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah; a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs II, Dr Nurudeen Mohammed; and three former permanent secretaries in the Ministry of Defence – Mr. Bukar Goni Aji, Mr. Haruna Sanusi and Mr. E.O, Oyemomi – for alleged corrupt practices.

Our correspondents gathered that the EFCC was working on the recommendations of the committee that withholding tax should be recovered from some companies and individuals involved in arms contracts during the period.

The presidential panel, in its report, recommended that DYI Global Services Limited and Doiyatec Comms Limited should jointly pay N2,260,925,479 as withholding  tax.

 According to the report, the Ministry of Defence, between 2007 and 2008, awarded contracts for the procurement of assorted ammunition, 20 units of twin hull boats and six units of ambulances fitted with radios to the two companies.

It stated in part, “Assorted ammunition and 20 units of K-38 twin hull boats were awarded on October 6, 2008 at the cost of N2,730,000,000.00 and N3,120,000,000.00 to DYI Global Services Ltd and Doiyatec Comms Ltd for UN Peacekeeping and Niger Delta operations respectively.

“DYI Global Services Ltd had been paid N2,593,500,000.00, representing 95 per cent with the delivery of ammunition worth N1,744,183,705.31, only, (representing 63 per cent). Doiyatec Comms Ltd was  paid N2,496,500,000.00, representing 80 per cent with the delivery of only eight out of the 20 boats, worth N1,248,000,000.00, representing 40 per cent.”

The report further stated that  the two companies would pay any accruing interest on the amount collected for items not delivered.

It was learnt that the commission would also invite two ex-army officers, Col. A.A. Abubagaji, and Lt.-Col. E.L. Hussaini Boyi, to account for N35,000,000 paid by  Suncraft International Ltd and Singapore Kinetics Technologies Ltd as withholding tax on a contract  for the retrofitting of MK1 fast patrol crafts and procurement of 50 Scorpion fast patrol crafts respectively.

A source in the EFCC said although the Nigerian Army deducted the money from the contract sum, there was no evidence that it was remitted to the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

“Abubagaji and Boyi, who made the payment, will be invited to account for the withholding tax deduction,” the source added.

The panel also stated that  Bamverde Nigeria Limited should pay N41,709,832 as withholding tax over a contract for the procurement of three  units of Charlie Horse Level-1 Field Hospital on  January 12, 2011, at the cost of N1,241,129,497.62 at a unit cost of N413,709,832.54.

“There was no evidence of payment of N41,709,832 as withholding tax by the company,” the report  stated.

The panel recommended that TS-Y International Limited should pay N27,452,970 as withholding tax on a contract  for the procurement of spare parts for artillery guns between November 2008 and December 2009 at  the cost of N549,059,400.00

It said a company, Hadassa Investment Security Nigeria Limited, should be probed  for non-delivery of N78,440,090 worth of items and non-payment of N93,090,090 as withholding tax on a contract in  2011 for the procurement of Twin Free Fall and Airborne Training Parachutes for Independent Day Celebration and Airborne Training, respectively at a combined cost of N290,300,000.00

It was gathered that the EFCC was investigating a presidential approval that granted waiver to Barnes and Tubbies for the payment of import duty, pre-shipment inspection and associated taxes for a  N1,081,625,600 contract.

Besides the six  companies which were recommended for  investigation  over alleged non-payment of withholding tax, others that are being probed over the contracts relating to defence equipment procurements include Baram International Nigeria Limited, SEI; Dalfam Nigeria Limited; 2020 Nigeria Limited; Chok Ventures; Clover Nigeria Limited and Westgate Global Trust Limited.

Others are  Hercules Manufacturing Nigeria Limited; Conella Servives Limited; Phoenix Technology Trading Company; Richfield Technology Limited; Jiangxi 299  Metal & Stones; Berwick Integrated Ltd; and Rapiscan System Services Limited.

Scarcity of Drug Hits Aso Rock Clinic

Despite the N3.87bn allocated to it in the 2016 Appropriation Act, lack of drugs and other essential medical items have crippled operations at the State House Medical Centre, The PUNCH has learnt.

The centre provides medical services to the President, Vice-President and their families, aides, members of staff of the State House and other entitled public servants.

It is also a training facility for house officers and other medical personnel.

Investigations by our correspondent showed that the centre located in Asokoro, a highbrow area of the Federal Capital Territory, is gradually becoming a shadow of its old self.

A cross-section of the centre’s patients told The PUNCH that patients were now being asked to go and buy drugs from outside as they were no longer available in the centre.

Most hit, it was further learnt, are patients with kidney problems who are currently undergoing dialysis in the facility.

Although, some of them are expected to be undergoing the dialysis at least twice a week, the centre’s management has been cancelling such exercise lately, therefore putting the lives of the patients at risk.

In some instances when they attend to them, the patients are made to come with some of the items the doctors will use for the exercise.

Our correspondent learnt that the centre’s management had resorted to sending text messages to patients on items they should bring for their treatment.

In one of such messages sent to a patient which is in The PUNCH’s possession, the management wrote, “Mr. XXX (names withheld), when u (sic) are coming for dialysis on Monday, buy IVF Normal Saline to be used for ur (sic) dialysis. The office doesn’t  have it. Buy like four pieces.”

Normal Saline IVF solution is used in the treatment, control, prevention and improvement of conditions such as low sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium levels as well as blood and fluid loss.

It improves the patients’ condition by maintaining proper fluid balance and keeping the tissues hydrated.

Another patient who spoke with our correspondent said he had a crisis recently because the centre cancelled his routine dialysis.

He said the centre’s management cancelled the session because of non-availability of bloodline.

He showed our correspondent a message sent to him on the cancellation.

The message read, “Gudevening (sic), we can’t dialize (sic) you tomorrow because we don’t have bloodline. When it is available, I will get back to you. Pls (sic) dialyse (sic) somewhere else. Thanks.”

The patient said the first time the session was cancelled, he was referred to a private hospital in Garki where he paid N20,000.

He added that when he could not afford the cost the second time, he was directed to another hospital in Wuse.

“As a result of the stress I passed through, by the time I returned home, I was very weak. My health situation deteriorated midnight and my people rushed me to the hospital. I was discharged about three days after,” he said.

Many other patients who spoke with our correspondent said the medical centre could no longer boast of “ordinary malaria drugs.”

“The clinic does not even have ordinary paracetamol. Paracetamol was included in the list of drugs they asked me to go and buy recently. Before now, they were giving us drugs.” another patient said.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, did not pick his calls when our correspondent attempted to get his reaction on Tuesday.

He also did not respond to a text message sent to him on the issue.

The Permanent Secretary, State House, Alhaji Jalal Arabi, had while defending the State House’s budget before the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-governmental Affairs, and members of the House of Representatives Committee on Special Duties disclosed that N3.2bn of the budget was earmarked for the upgrade of State House Clinic to a Centre of Excellence.

Arabi had said, “The budget for the State House Medical Centre included N3.219bn proposed for the completion of ongoing work as well as procurement of drugs and other medical equipment.

“The Medical Centre provides health care treatment for the President and Vice-President, their families as well as numerous civil servants working in the State House and across the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government and of course, with due respect, including parliamentarians and members of the legislature in addition to other notable dignitaries.

“Interestingly, Mr. Chairman, on a lighter note, not only those that have been captured here attend (the Medical Centre) there are poor of the poorest that attend because we receive reference from Gwagwalada, Garki, Wuse hospitals.

“So, if they come, we attend to them and interestingly too at no fee at all, we don’t charge.

“The anticipated improvement of the Medical Centre will propel it to serve as a Centre of Excellence and also reduce medical tourism.

“May I also add that the State House Medical Centre, unlike other medical centres does not charge any fees for its services and hence does not generate any revenue for itself.

PUNCH.

Jail-breaks: FG dismisses 23 prisons officers, suspends 11

The Federal Government has dismissed 23 prisons officers for alleged complicity in jail-breaks at Kuje Medium Security Prisons, Abuja and Koton-Karfe Prisons, Kogi, respectively.

The Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board, at its emergency meeting held on August 11, 2016, approved the dismissal of three senior prisons officers serving in Kuje prison and three other senior officers serving in Koton Karfe prison for their complicity in the escape of prisoners from the respective prisons.

The dismissal letters dated August 12 were signed by the Secretary to the Board Alhaji A A Ibrahim, according to a statement on Monday in Abuja by the Nigerian Prisons Service Public Relations Officer,Francis Enobore.

It said that the board approved the immediate dismissal of the prison officers over allegation of misconduct and negligence of duty “in line with the provision of  the Public Service Rule 030402 (O) being an action prejudicial to the security of the State.”

In addition, the Controller-General of Prisons, Ahmed Ja’afaru, also approved the dismissal of seven junior prison officers serving in Kuje prisons and 10 other junior staff serving in Koton Karfe prison, who were also implicated in the escape saga.

The statement directed the officers to hand over all government properties in their possession to their immediate superior.

Meanwhile, the officer in charge of Nsukka Prison DCP Okonkwo Lawrence and 10 others have been suspended following the escape of 15 inmates from the prison last week.

The suspension is to allow for detailed and uninterrupted investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident in order to facilitate appropriate action by the prison  authorities.

The CG, had in the wake of the incessant escape of prisoners from some prisons in the country, convened an emergency meeting of Command Officers and 241 officers in charge of prisons across the country to reassess security measures for safe keeping of prisoners.

The prison service stated that a number of escapees have been recaptured, adding that efforts are still being made to ensure that all the fugitives were  apprehended and returned to prison custody.

“The Controller General wishes to assure all officers and men of the Nigerian Prisons Service of his readiness to support and encourage hard work and dedication to duty but frowns at acts of negligence capable of embarrassing the Service and the nation at large,” it said.

Ja’afaru appreciated the collaboration of security agencies, vigilance groups and members of the public for their support and  said that all necessary measures were being put in place to guarantee security of prisons inmates.