Presidential Panel Strips Senator Nwaoboshi Of His Properties In Warri, Asaba, Lagos

July 14, 2019

The Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property has sealed off suspicious assets and property belonging to Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, located in Warri, Asaba in Delta State, and Lagos State.

Some of the properties sealed by the Presidential Panel included: Summing Electrical Company located at Asagba along Asaba Airport Road, Asaba, Delta State; PON filling station along Asaba Airport Road, Asaba, Delta State, and a Multibillion Naira Estate under construction at Maryam Babangida Road, Asaba, Delta State.Others are: Cartage Cinema located at Okpana Road beside Rain Oil Petrol Station, Asaba, Delta State; Newbridge filling Station along Airport Road, Warri, Delta State and a house at No 8 Monu Olanrewaju Crescent, GRA, Asaba, Delta State.Senators Nwaoboshi’s properties sealed in Lagos are Guinea House, No 27, Marina Road, Apapa: A multi-billion building located at 41, Burma road, Apapa, Lagos.In Abuja, House No 25 6932 road, Adban Estate, Gwarimpa; and Plot 3011B Kuranakh Close, Maitama were sealed. Also, a number of plots of land were also sealed by the Panel.

The Panel carried out the action against the background of last week’s ruling of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja which ordered an interim forfeiture of property belonging to Nwaoboshi, who represents Delta North senatorial district.

Ruling in suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/1127/18 filed by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property on behalf of the Federal Government, Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo also placed a post-no-debit order on 22 bank accounts linked to Nwaoboshi.

The embattled lawmaker was recently referred to the Office of the Department of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel led by Chief Okoi Obono-Obla for allegedly making false assets declaration in his Form CCB1 submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

According to the ruling, 14 properties and 22 bank accounts linked to the senator are to be temporarily forfeited to the federal government.Aside sealing off the properties, the Panel also wrote to several banks including Zenith International Bank Plc ; United Bank of Africa ; Sterling Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc to block Senator Nwaoboshi from operating multiple accounts maintained by him in these banks pursuant to the Order of the Interim forfeiture given by the Court.

Tinubu, APC Chieftains Console Pa fasoranti Over Dautgter’s Murder

Greenbarge Reporters

July 14, 2019

National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Tinubu and former APC Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu today, July 14, visited the leader of Afenifere, Pa Fasoranti over the killing of his daughter, Funke Olakunrin.

The Truth About Lagos-Ibadan Railway Project, By Abdullahi Mohammed

Greenbarge Reporters

July 14, 2019

Not a few Nigerians must have noted with shock and disbelief, the vicious, unrelenting campaign of calumny which has been raging against the Federal Ministry of Transportation for some time now on the social media and in the traditional media alike. It goes without saying that the motive of the sponsors of the wicked narrative is crystal clear: to smear the ministry and its immediate past helmsman on the one hand, and the government of President Muhammed Buhari on the other.

In brief, it was falsely claimed that the ministry allegedly indulged in padding the cost of the Lagos to Ibadan railway project, comparing it with a non-existent contract in the Republic of Ghana. It is important to note that the Ghanaian government has since refuted that publication and has even written to those concerned, expressing its dissatisfaction with the satanic allegation. In fact, the government of that country went on to describe that concoction as “containing a lot of factual inaccuracies.” In other words, the project in Ghana which was used as a so-called yardstick is at best at conceptual stage and has neither a construction design nor final cost estimate.

Against this backdrop, it is essential to clarify the true facts and figures, at least to set the record straight and disabuse the general public’s mind of the misinformation and outright fiction being dished out with reckless abandon. First of all, it is imperative to state for the benefit of the general public that railway project costs do not depend solely on the length/distance between the terminal points but rely on various factors which include principally the terrain, core operation accessories and amenities designated for the train service.

What then is the actual cost of the innovative Lagos to Ibadan project? What is the breakdown of what the whole thing entails the process of the contracts, and associated benefits to the country? To start with, the project is segmented into Addendum 2 and 2A. Addendum 2 starts from Ebute Meta (Lagos) to Ibadan and was approved by the Federal Executive Council on July 18, 2012 after the issuance of Certificate of No Objection by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) ref. no. BPP/S. 1/vol. VII/09/221 of January 14, 2010 at the cost of US$1,487,782,196.00 and addendum 2A that starts from Ebute Meta to Lagos Port complex, Apapa was approved by Federal Executive Council on November 30, 2016 after obtaining BPP No Objection ref. no. BPP/S. 1/vol. XII/16/053 of September 08, 2016 at the cost of US$94, 065, 175.00.

Thus the total contract sum of the whole segments 2 and 2A is US$1,581,847,371.00 contrary to the US$2billion being bandied all over the place. Furthermore, the total track length of the project is 386km (as against the 156km being alleged) which represents the distance between Ebute Meta (Lagos) and Ibadan terminal stations only. It is worth emphasizing that the Lagos to Ibadan project is a double track rail line. The cost index/km is US$4.09million/km as against the outrageous US$13.6million/km alleged.

Another significant fact which our investigation uncovered is that the aforementioned cost index per kilometer is not for the construction of rail track only. On the contrary, it consists of the following:

General: (site acquisition and compensation);
Earthwork:With total volume of 28.1 million cubic metres to achieve required level of formation;

iii. Bridges (21 nos.) Railway bridges with overall length of 12.43km, 40nos. Vehicular overpasses (flyovers) and 27nos. pedestrian bridges)

Culverts Drains and Protection Work:147no. major culverts and vehicular under passes;
Permanent Way: 320km main line, 64.4km comprising branch lines, station tracks, sidings and 2.27km of monolithic concrete bed track within the Apapa Port complex;
Stations: Eleven (11) stations of which four (4) are mega stations with capacity tohandle 4000 to 6000 passengers at peak hours and seven (7) other standard class stations, 3nos. freight yards at Apapa Harbour station, Kajola and Ibadan;

vii. Power Supply: 33kv dedicated power supply from the national grid with 4 substations and 200km approximate length of distribution line;

viii. Signaling and Communication: Full automatic blocking system of train control and detection signaling with ten (10) units of digital despatch system and a central traffic control. The communication system is GSM-R;

Rolling Stock Workshops: Rolling stock workshops and depots in three locations on the corridor: Kajola, Abeokuta, Omi-Adio;
5 Years Maintenance: Post – construction operation including training and supervision.

From the above, even the blind can note the huge benefits that are in embedded in the project in fact, there are some other benefits which the country is gaining from the Railway contracts towards improving local content and capacity building in the sector. These are:

Securing an investment portfolio of building a Rolling Stock Assembly Factor starting with a Wagon Assembly in Kajola, Ogun State;
Establishment of University of Transportation with emphasis on Railway Science and Engineering Faculty in Katsina State; and

iii. Training of minimum of two hundred (200) youths in various degree courses in related field in Universities in China of which sixty (60) have commenced training since September 2018. These ancillary benefits are fully funded by the contractor.

Buhari Appreciates Nigeria Army’s Prompt Response To security Threats

Editorial staff

July 14, 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari has openly thanked the Nigerian Armed Forces and their allies for their prompt response to security threats abywhere in the country, even as he insisted that Nigeria is winning the war against terrorism.

Addressing Graduation Ceremony of Senior Course 41 at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) in Jaji, Kaduna State today, July 13, President Buhari said: “your response to Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, militancy, kidnapping as well as activities of separatists and armed militias among others have been very commendable.

“The Nigerian Armed Forces have also committed huge resources towards stability of the West African sub-region and world peace in general.”

President Buhari commended the collaboration with neighbouring countries in the fight against Boko Haram terrorists, noting that the effort was crucial in decimating the enemy.

“Many of the security threats faced by Nigeria are trans-border in nature. That is why the West African sub-region and indeed the African continent must step up the level of military cooperation that currently exists amongst us.

“I am sure you are aware of the collaboration of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Republic of Cameroun, Niger, Benin and Chad in a multinational operation to decimate Boko Haram terrorists in the Lake Chad Basin and other regions.

“The effort is laudable and has continued to yield positive results, as the war on terror is being won on all sides.

“I want to assure you that Nigeria, in partnership with our allies, will not relent until terrorists are completely decimated.”

The President assured that the Federal Government will continue to give priority to the training and welfare of officers and men of the Armed Forces, including the eminent institution, established to train tactical and operational level officers on the tenets of staff work and command.

The President told the 207 Senior Course 41 graduates that the nation expects the best from them in terms of commitment to duties, loyalty and service to the fatherland given the time and investments expended on their training.

He expressed delight that the college had 13 international officers from 11 African countries and the Republic of Korea, who successfully completed Course 41, an improvement on Senior Course 40, which had 11 international students.

The President also commended the management for introducing media awareness packages in its training in order to sensitize officers on the importance and methodologies of utilizing information and media actions in support of military operations.

Buhari appreciated the modernization drive in the military institution, evident in the establishment of an e- examination centre and rejuvenated library facilities.

The President also praised the college for reviewing its curricula to build the capacity of student officers to become more proficient in military operations that are better situated to addressing Nigeria’s current security threats.

In his remarks, the Commandant AFCSC, Air Vice Marshal L.S. Alao said that a total number of 207 students successfully passed through the programme, which spanned 48 weeks.

He said that the graduating set began their programme on August 8, 2018 comprising 87 Army officers, 58 Navy, 40 Air force personnel and nine non-military staff and 13 international officers drawn from South Korea, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Liberia, South Africa, Niger Republic and Gambia among others.

Police boss Swears To Find Killers Of Funke Olakunrin, Gives His Men Marching Order

Editorial staff

July 13, 2019

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu has vowed to find the killers of Mrs. Funke Olakunrin, daughter of the leader of the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasorantin, even as Police boss ordered his men and officers to intensify security surveillances in the Southwest and South South.

The IGP stressed that he had already deployed, with strong directive for a massive manhunt for the killers, Special Forces and seasoned investigators from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and the Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU). They will work with the Ondo State Police Command.

A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said that the police boss condemned what he described as “the heinous and barbaric crime,” saying that as part of measures to prevent a future occurrence of such incidence, he had ordered the total overhaul of security architecture on the highways straddling the Southern part of the country.

The IGP has ordered Commissioners of Police in the affected States to emplace adequate security arrangement in their areas of jurisdiction, even as he assured the nation that the Force Headquarters has perfected plans to replicate the special security arrangement powered by “Operation Puff Adder”currently ongoing in Kaduna- Abuja expressway in key highways in the Southern part of the country.

He said that the Force will not rest on its oars until sanity is restored in every nook and cranny of the country, even as he called for calm and support from all Nigerians, especially residents of Ondo State, in aid of the current investigation.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has made a direct phone call to the father of the slain woman, Pa Reuben Fasoranti.

Femi Adesina, the Presidential spokesman, quoted President Buhari as condoling with Pa Reuben, who is the Afenifere leader over the incidence and wished him comfort of God, and fortitude to bear the great loss.

The President assured the Yoruba leader that security agencies would spare no effort to apprehend the culprits and bring them to justice.

Adesina said that Pa Reuben Fasoranti thanked the President for identifying with him and his family at their time of travail, praying that God will restore peace and amity to the country.

EDITORIAL: Our Take On Buhari’s Pronouncement About His First Term Ministers

Greenbarge Reporters

July 13, 2019

As is usual with him, President Muhammadu Buhari could not hide his feeling about the set of ministers that formed his first term Federal Executive Council, with whom he was holding, mainly, weekly Executive Council meeting.

Speaking at a dinner he had with the leadership of the National Assembly on Thursday, July 11, at the Presidential Villa, the President made it clear that he did not know most of the ministers he worked with in his first term, from 2015 to 2019.

The President, not given to hiding his feelings or pretending, said: “The last cabinet which I had, most of them, a majority of them I didn’t know. I had to accept their names and recommendation from the party. I worked with them for three and a half years.”

Well, it is not very clear what the President implied by such statement: was it that he was not comfortable with the ministers, who, by the implication of his postulation, were forced down his throat all through the three and half years? Yes, he did not know most of them, which was understandable as it was impossible for him to have known them before he appointed them, but was the fact that he did not know them had any negative impact in their general performances in office?

We in Greenbarge Reporters feel, and strongly so, that the question of knowing everyone across the 36 States of the federation in governing a country as widely dimensional in every respect as Nigeria does not make a good case. In other words, it does not make any social or political sense for a leader to know beforehand, every other person he would appoint for the federal executive council, and more importantly, that such knowledge of the ministers is a guarantee for superlative performance of same.

There is even argument in some quarters that those who easily disappoint leaders are those that are well known by such leaders. An example is the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Lawal Daura, who was alleged to have betrayed his uncle, President Buhari when his loyalty was most needed. Remember that Daura was kicked out of office by the Buhari’s administration on the basis of such betrayal.

It is a universal fact that one usually gets to know other people through acknowledgement from others who know such person, and even in as wide as Nigeria, a leader cannot insist that he MUST personally know all the appointees before he would appoint them. It is practically impossible.

As a matter of fact, what President Buhari is saying, including the fact that he is being pressurized to appoint ministers, is that Nigerians should keep on waiting until he is able to gather all the people he personally know before he settles for business of governance; for, governance, in our own kind of democracy, can only be done with ease, along with egg-heads and technocrats, sitting together regularly to fashion out fresh directions. And do we assume that such wait will take another one year or more?

It is our humble opinion that the President should move fast, make quick consultations and come out with the ministers before the end of July, when he would have spent clear two months since he was sworn-in for a second term and five clear months since he was formally declared winner of the February 23^rd Presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The President should know, as he actually acknowledged, that he has just four more years to correct all the anomalies in the polity and some mistakes he made in his first tenure.

We remind Mr. President that one thing with time is that it moves faster than we imagine. This means that before one would say Jack-the-little-boy, definitely, we would have been preparing for the 2023 general elections, which may beat into background, whatever noise anyone would like to make about achievements or no achievements.

Philosophers have warned us not to postpone to tomorrow what we can do today. Mr. President Sir, assembling ministers is what you can do within a week. And you have the liberty to ease out any of them that is not performing later. It is allowed.

We humbly and patriotically submit that tomorrow may be too late, sir.

Killing Of Fasoranti’s Daughter: Aare Onakakamfo Of Yoruba Land Issues War Threat

Editorial staff

July 13, 2019

The chief war lord, Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has issued a war threat over the killing of Funke Olakunrin, the daughter of the leader of pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti.

Aare Adams, who is also the Leader of Oodua Peoples Congress, described Olakunrin’s killing by suspected herdsmen in Ondo State as one too many, adding that Fulanis are now invading the South West in their numbers and perpetrating atrocities.
In a statement by his Media Assistant, Kehinde Aderemi, today, July 13, the Aare Onakakanfo said that the Yoruba race is not at a loss as to what to do to put a complete stop to the atrocities of the Fulani herdsmen, but had continuously issued statements so as to call the attention of the entire world to the development in the peaceful South West.
He said that the Yoruba people are not paper tigers and dogs who can only bark without biting, adding: “We only want the whole world to know what has been done and being done to our people.
“They should be aware of the actions that preceded our reaction when it eventually comes.
“We are not bereft of ideas of how to stop this criminality on our land.
“It is just so that we should not be blamed when the reaction comes.
“We are like the proverbial goat that it being chased.
“When it gets to the wall, it will certainly react.
“We are at that stage now.”
Gani Adams said that the Yoruba race has been meeting in the last two months over the security threat to the people, calling on Governors of the South West States to ensure the conclusion of the Security Summit process.
He charged all traditional rulers to take bold steps to stamp out killings by Fulani herdsmen in their domains.
He commiserated with Pa Fasoranti, praying God to comfort him and his entire household.

Big Brother Naija Show, Immorality In Our Living Rooms

July 13, 2019

There’s a notorious programme currently going on called THE BIG BROTHER NAIJA. The winner of this notorious show is expected to walk away with a whopping N25 million and a breathtaking car. All that is required to win this show is to be Live with a bunch of fellow crazy, irresponsible people, do all sorts of immoral things, and, viola, you’re the winner.

Next thing, you’re called a celebrity, winning big advertisement contracts and becoming the face of multinational companies.

If only there could be an educating version of this programme. If only they could house some intelligent people in like manner and make them compete for similar prizes. But, no! Our people do not encourage sanity. Our society promotes evil over good, indecency over decency, immorality over morality, and ungodliness over godliness.

The best in Mathematics competitions will go home with either a carton of cowbell milk or Indomie noodles, ridiculous stipends and laughable prizes. Yet these morons in BBN will earn millions for coming to suck breasts, speak thrash, display nudity, and get under the sheets on International TVs.

Our rich individuals, companies and corporate organisations will spend huge sums of money sponsoring dirty shows like BBN and Beauty Pageants where they will enthrone satanic activities, display nudity, molest our under aged girls, and make them win on bottom power rather than on real beauty and brains. Can anyone forget the Anambra State born Chidinma Okeke saga in a hurry?

What a wasted generation! What a time! How do we raise, nurture and produce the next Chike Obis, Chinua Achebes, Wole Soyinkas, Cyril stover, Apostle olatunde Adekunle, and yes, P.O.C. Akorefes???? What foundation are we laying for coming generations? What message of hope and legacy are we leaving behind? What epistle are we sending to the future to testify to it that the past made some level of contributions. Is Immorality the legacy we really want to hand down to the next generation? Are we not losing our minds?

Let all people of goodwill come together and raise alarm against this dirty programme. Let us all with one voice and in unison say, “We’ve had enough of this nonsense.” Let us blow the trumpet in Zion and declare war on these encouragers of evil tendencies and promoters of these demonic programmes targeted at our highly impressionable youths. We should see that this programme is replaced with a more intelligent and educative programme.

Nigeria is broke morally and financially, yet the sponsors are wasting millions of Naira on a highly immoral programme. Please what is the lesson that one can learn from this Big Brother show? What can our YOUTHS pick from it?

If we keep quiet, then we are silent conspirators.

Lagos Gov Picks Segun Fafore As Executive Assistant, Public Relations

Editorial staff

July 12, 2019

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has appointed a public relations professional Olusegun Michael Fafore as his Executive Assistant on Public Relations and New Media.

Until his appointment, Fafore was the Consultant-in-Chief of Reputation Plus Limited, a reputation and communication management company he founded a few years ago.

Fafore’s career in the Corporate Communications and Brand/Reputation management business began shortly after he graduated with a B. A. (Hons), degree in English, from Obafemi Awolowo University in 1999. He joined Access Bank where he rose to become the Head of Corporate Communications of the bank with outstanding achievements in managing the image of the leading Bank in Nigeria.

Fafore had since then, taken up senior communication roles in corporate organizations across the Banking and Oil and Gas sectors of the economy, which had afforded him the opportunity to help leading brands and institutions in Nigeria to establish good business reputation and brand awareness.

Before setting up his company, Fafore was in charge of external communications and stakeholders’ engagement initiatives at Nestoil, a leading Nigerian Oil Service company operating in the upstream and midstream, engineering, procurement and construction.

He was able to develop and supervise the execution of strategic plans in the Corporate Communications Department, thereby facilitating the achievement of organizational goals.

He also guided corporate communication team members towards successful execution of integrated communications and corporate social responsibility agenda.

Fafore, apart from graduating from OAU, also attended the University of Leeds (2014 to 2015) where he bagged Masters of Arts (M.A) in the field of Corporate Communications and Public Relations. He also attended Rutgers Business School (2015) for a ‘Mini MBA’ in the Field of Social Media Marketing. He also has a diploma in Public Relations and graduated with distinction from 2010 to 2011 (Chartered Institute of Public Relations).

Fafore is a highly resourceful PR practitioner who has contributed immensely to the growth of many of the organisations he has worked for. His expertise is in Public Affairs and Crisis Communications, Corporate PR, Financial PR, Media Relations, Stakeholders Management, communication and Campaign Planning, Political Communication and Content Development

I Provided Land For Fulani Herdsmen When I Was Abia Governor – Orji Kalu

Editorial staff

July 12, 2019

The Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate and former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has said that he provided land for Fulani herdsmen for their trade when he was the governor of the State between 1999 to 2007.

At an interaction with the Senate Press Corps today, July 12, the lawmaker, who is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said: “I provided land for herders in Umuahia during my time as governor of Abia State where cattle were brought from the North for sale across the Southeast and there were no problems.

“When the executive members of Miyetti Allah approached my government, I chose where Shoprite is located now for them along the Port Harcourt expressway.

“One day, I took a 32-seater bus and I asked their Executives to follow me to where I showed them and they agreed that it was appropriate for them and that was how I established RUGA.”

The Chief Whip said that he trades in cows, saying that cow business is profiteering.

According to him, many Nigerian elite have cows and they are interested in that business, adding that it is wrong for people to see cow business as exclusively that of the Fulani.

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