PDP, APC Clash In Abuja: 9 APC Vehicles Burnt To Ashes

February 9, 2019

Report reaching us at Greenbarge Reporters has said that no fewer than nine different vehicles belonging to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were burnt to ashes today when supporters of the party clashed with that of the main opposition, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at Dei Dei, outskirts of the city.
It was learnt that in the ensuing confrontation, the APC campaign convoy which comprised the FCT Minister’s representative and his Chief of Staff, Bashir Mai-Borno, the APC Chairman in the FCT, Abdulmalik Usman, the DG FCT Campaign Council, Hon. Musa Yahaya Mohammed, candidates of the party to various offices in the forthcoming election as well as other supporters, was attacked while on its way to the palace of the SerkinJiwa.
It was further gathered that APC convoy was pelted with rocks and other deadly missiles, while vehicles among the convoy were set ablaze with Molotov cocktail, otherwise known as petrol bombs. Other motorists were also not spared as their vehicles suffered serious damages.
Information had it that no life was lost in the fracas as security personnel rose to save the situation from escalating.
The suspected PDP supporters were said to mounted road block around the Timber Market axis of the Dei Dei road and prevented the APC convoy from proceeding to the palace of the Sarkin Jiwa.
They were said to have taken advantage of a PDP rally which was also being held around the Dei Dei Timber Market, to unleash mayhem on the APC Campaign Convoy.
The security detail attached to the office of the FCT Minister and others covering the event however responded by firing shots in the air to calm the situation.
It was learnt that the convoy was attacked again around the same spot while it was returning from the palace and heading to the grand finale of the APC FCT Campaign at the Old Parade Ground. It was during this second confrontation that 9 vehicles were set ablaze.
The security personnel were also quick to intervene this time firing several shots into the air to disperse the menacing attackers. Their intervention helped to create a brief window, which allowed the APC Campaign convoy to retreat and follow another route to safety. Nine vehicles that were not so fortunate were however set ablaze by the attackers. Others that made it to safety also had their windshields smashed.
In the milee, other motorists which were not part of the convoy also had their windshields broken by flying objects which were hauled by the hoodlums from different directions. Billowing smokes from burning vehicles were seen high up in the sky during the melee which occurred in the afternoon and around the twilight of the day.
Reacting to the incident, the Director General, FCT APC Campaign Council, Hon. Musa Yahaya Mohammed, described the attack as unfortunate, saying that intelligence information suggested that the attack was premeditated.
“Based on the report I gathered from the security personnel, about nine of our vehicles were burned down. Some of the vehicles that escaped also had their windscreens smashed. Few individuals also sustained varying degrees of injuries.
“I believe that it’s a good omen that it happened before the election. It’s a pointer to the fact that we should be security conscious and make a security arrangement during the elections and of course after the elections,” the DG said.

Buhari To Lagos Business Community: Nigeria’s Economy Is Back On Track, Growing Steadily

Editorial staff

February 9, 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the nation’s economy is back on track as his government’s economic policies are making the desired impact, evidenced by steady growth in the economy in the last three years.
Speaking at a town hall meeting with the Business community in Lagos, President Buhari said he had kept his promise to boost the economy, through blocking leakages in government finances, increasing capital expenditure and inflows, and implementing the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), among others.
‘‘I firmly believe that our economic policies are beginning to make the desired impact. Economic growth has resumed and is continuing to improve.
‘‘Growth was higher in 2017 than in 2016, data even from external sources shows that it will be higher in 2018 than in 2017. I am confident that as we stay the course, it will be better still at the end of 2019.
‘‘Inflation is coming down steadily, there is stability in the exchange rate and foreign exchange is readily available for genuine business. Foreign reserves are adequate and growing; capital inflows have increased and the trade balance is positive.
‘‘We are paying off debts that were not even publicly acknowledged before now, including those owed to States, the electricity sector, oil marketers, exporters, backlog of salaries of workers and pensioners, amongst others.”
The President who met with representatives of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Nigeria Association of Small and Medium Enterprises shortly before attending the APC presidential campaign rally in Lagos, said he is a strong believer in the importance of investing in infrastructure to promote development.
‘‘I am happy that the results of the priority we have placed on this sector are beginning to show.
‘‘Our commitment is reflected in the resources that we are providing for infrastructure. In 2016 and 2017, capital expenditure was up to N2.7 trillion while over N800m has been released under the current budget.
‘‘This has been complemented by the inception of the $650 million Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund which will focus initially on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the Second Niger Bridge, the Abuja-Kano expressway and the Mambilla hydropower plant.”
The President also highlighted completed and ongoing projects in the transport and aviation sector, expressing delight that the rail projects are generating excitement across the country because it would help local businesses to grow.
‘‘The Abuja-Kaduna railway is up and running. The Itakpe-Warri line is being test-run before going commercial. The completed portion of the Abuja light rail project is facilitating movement to the airport.
‘‘The Lagos-Ibadan railway is nearing completion with people already taking test rides on the completed portions. We are determined to work at the same pace on the Coastal Railway Line and the line from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri.
‘‘We completed the repairs to the runway in Abuja in record time, and just a few weeks ago, I commissioned the Baro Inland Port. All these achievements will help Nigerian businesses to grow.”
On future plans to sustain the positive economic outlook, the President said the Federal Government would raise more revenue to boost the economic fundamentals and increase the level and quality of government services in support of the private sector.
‘‘I recently inaugurated a Technical Advisory Committee to identify new sources of revenue in this regard. This is also to ensure that Government at all levels have the resources to pay the new national wage, which we are indeed committed to paying.
‘‘Our economic fundamentals are strong and, in the next four years by the grace of God, we are determined to stay the course in terms of partnerships with the private sector; support to the real sector; helping small businesses, providing infrastructure and an enabling business environment.”
The President told members of the private sector that his administration has also stimulated growth in the economy by adopting and implementing new strategies to deal with the security situation in the country and tackle rampant corruption.
‘‘When this Government came into office, our three priorities were to increase the level of security across the country, tackle rampant corruption and improve the economy. These three factors are interconnected.
‘‘Without peace and stability, there will never be economic growth and development.”
The administration’s view on improving the economy, the President said, focused on a bottom to top approach.
‘‘We focused on developing the rural economy which we hope will result in growth that is inclusive. Boko Haram and the militants in the Niger Delta started their aggressive operations during the years of high oil prices and GDP growth.
‘‘These young and misguided youths did not benefit from the various statistics and indicators of prosperity we were celebrating in the past decade. No wonder they were recruited to cause violence and mayhem in their localities.
‘‘These three priorities, if addressed, will completely transform Nigeria to a diversified, inclusive and competitive economy. But this is not an overnight transition. We are not only transforming systems and processes, but we are also changing hearts and minds.
‘‘We have recaptured and held lost territories. Yes, we still have pockets of insurgency, but our sovereign integrity is intact,’’ he said.

Buhari Gives Hope To Cancer Patients, Says More Centres Will Be Established

Editorial staff

February 9, 2019

President Buhari Commissiones cancer center in Lagos

President Muhammadu Buhari has given hope to cancer patients and would-patients in Nigeria with a promise to establish more centres across the country for the treatment of the ailment.
The President, who inaugurated the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) advanced Cancer treatment centre in Lagos, vowed to ensure that facilities for the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of cancer are available to many more Nigerians.
At the inauguration ceremony of the state-of-the-art Centre in LUTH, Idi Araba, President Buhari announced that the model will be replicated across the country to bring quality, first-class healthcare services to cancer patients in Nigeria.
‘‘We are aware that up to 40% of funds spent by Nigerians on medical tourism is attributable to patients seeking treatment for cancer. Despite having an increasing number of citizens suffering from cancer, we until now, had only two working radiotherapy machines in the country.
‘‘Working through the NSIA and LUTH we utilized a PPP model that unlocked investment capital to directly address this issue. We will replicate this model across the country to bring quality, first-class healthcare services to as many Nigerians as we can.
‘‘Indeed, over the coming months, under our leadership, the NSIA will commission two Modern Medical Diagnostic Centres to be co-located in the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State and the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia, Abia State, respectively, bringing additional investment to Nigeria’s healthcare sector,’’ he said.

The President emphasized the need for maintenance of the equipment, saying: “Our goal today is not simply to celebrate and applaud the culmination of months of hard work to achieve this objective. Neither is it solely to revel in the successful completion of the most modern and best-equipped Cancer treatment centre in West Africa.
‘‘Indeed we are proud, but we recognize that this modest effort to address the gaps in our tertiary healthcare system alone is insufficient to address all the challenges faced by the sector.
‘‘Today, we showcase what feats we can accomplish when we are together, unrelenting in our effort to deliver a common objective.
‘‘No one ever prays to be diagnosed with Cancer, but if they are, what we have made possible here today is the hope that a true chance of survival and good quality of life becomes part of the story of many Nigerian patients with cancer.”
The President promised that his administration, which has introduced programmes to alleviate common diseases, including the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund targeted at ensuring access to primary healthcare for all Nigerians, will continue to push hard to raise awareness about cancer, educate the people and facilitate early diagnosis.
He noted that this objective was part of his solemn commitment to Nigerians four years ago to improve the quality of health care in the country.
The President, who performed the ceremony after attending the APC presidential campaign rally at the Teslim Balogun Stadium Surulere, Lagos, said his administration had focused on greater investment in the sector and worked hard to ensure increased access to safe, high-quality healthcare.
‘‘We promised to effect policies that would remove debilitating constraints on the sector and create sustainable structures to strengthen our healthcare institutions.
‘‘Today, we are gathered here to acknowledge the modest but laudable strides we are making in fulfilling that promise. We recognize that progress in the health sector is handicapped by several bottlenecks.
‘‘Accordingly, we have worked and we will continue to work to ensure that systems are introduced to bridge these gaps,’’ he said.
The President told the audience at LUTH that the Federal Government has created an enabling environment for institutions such as the NSIA to help fund high impact projects on time and on budget, thereby delivering immense value for our people.
‘‘In the case of the Cancer Centre, we can measure this value in currency, but we prefer to measure the value in terms of its social impact, the number of lives of Nigerians that will be saved and positively affected as well as the impact of capacity building for our people.”
In his remarks at the inauguration ceremony, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NSIA, Mr. Uche Orji said the Centre is expected to raise the bar in the quality and standard of cancer treatment in Nigeria with outcomes that would be consistent with the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
‘‘In addition, this Centre will demonstrate the economic potential of healthcare investments in Nigeria and catalyse increased private sector participation,” he said.
Also speaking, Professor Chris Bode, Chief Medical Director, LUTH, noted that the Centre is world-class and no Nigerian cancer patient needs to travel abroad again to receive treatment easily obtainable at home.
‘‘We, therefore, want to assure Your Excellency that we shall give what it takes to run this Centre as a pride to all Nigerians. NSIAs investment is not only safe but will yield ample dividend to encourage other deep pocket investors to open up the health sector as a veritable investors’ haven, ’’ he said.
Also speaking, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole described the Centre as the single largest investment in cancer treatment in the country by any administration since independence.
Prof. Adewole added that the facility can cater for 100 patients daily and provide training for over eighty healthcare professionals, among many others.

God Will Punish Treasury Looters, Buhari Curses

Editorial staff

February 9, 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari has handed over those who looted Nigeria’s treasury in the past government to God for appropriate devine punishment.

He said that for the damage they had done this country, “only God can give them punishment.”

The President, who spoke when he received about 1,000 local and Diaspora support groups for his second term bid, at the presidential villa, Abuja yesterday, Friday, said: “all those who were involved in large scale abuse of trust, only God can give them punishment but those we can touch, we will get them prosecuted. We have said their property that have been confiscated should be sold and the money put into the treasury which we will use.”
President Buhari’s recalled how he met with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Mr Godwin Emefiele) on assumption of office in 2015 and was informed that there was no money left in the treasury, saying: “I have said this for the umpteenth time and I have challenged them to prove me wrong, but in the 16 years the PDP ruled, Nigeria was getting 2.1 million times 100 (2.1 million barrels by $100 per barrel) every day, every week, but when we came on board, the price fell to between $37-$38 and hung around $40-$50.”

Supreme Court Ruling On Rivers APC: Our Legal Team Studying The Judgment – APC

Editorial staff

February 8, 2019

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu

The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu has said that the party’s legal department is looking into the judgment of the Supreme Court which nullified the party’s primaries in Rivers State.

Reacting to the judgment which was delivered today, Friday, the APC spokesman said: “it is not the kind of judgment we looked forward to, based on the facts that we are aware of.

“The only option before us now is to review this judgment and see what other means that is legal. We think we deserve to field candidates in Rivers state. We know we did the right thing. We had our primaries even though there are issues around it.”

Mallam Lanre wondered why the APC is the only party that is being subjected to this kind of scrutiny from the electoral body, adding that it is the same APC that PDP has continued to raise flags as being the party that wants to rig election and is supposed to be working in cahoots with INEC.

“If this is the way to work in cahoots with INEC, we need to ask further questions. We know what we did in Rivers compared to what PDP did in many of the thirty-six states.

“PDP shouldn’t field candidates in many states if the same parameters applied by the electoral body are applied to the PDP.

“Our legal department will review the outcome of this as unpalatable as it is and we will be able to say categorically the next step we might be taking and come out with it in due course.”

2019: PDP Jubilates As Supreme Court Disqualifies Rivers APC Candidates

Editorial staff

February 8, 2019

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed the judgment of the Supreme Court nullifying primary elections of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state.

With the judgment, the APC chapter in River State will not be fielding candidates in the forthcoming general elections.

In a statement today, Friday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party described the apex court’s judgment as victory for democracy and the rule of law.

“The party commends the apex court for its courage in delivering the landmark judgment, which has saved the nation from a serious constitutional crisis that could have marred the 2019 general elections and detract from our overall electoral system.

“The judgment of the Supreme Court serves as a huge lesson to politicians and political parties, to eschew impunity and always conduct their affairs in a manner that is in tandem with the provision of the law.

“The courage displayed by the Supreme Court in delivering the judgment at this critical time in our national life has also restored the confidence of Nigerians in the institution of the Judiciary and our democratic order.

“The PDP however urges its teeming members across the country to continue to work hard in consolidating on the already established victory of our great party in all elections, beginning with next Saturday’s presidential election.”

EFCC Boss Laments High Level Of Money Laundering By 10 Nigerian Banks

Greenbarge Reporters

February 8, 2019

The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has lamented the high level of money laundering by 10 Nigerian commercial banks whose names he did not mentioned.

The EFCC Chief, who spoke today, Friday in Lagos during a round table meeting with managing directors of financial institutions in Nigeria: “it is worrisome to note that in 2018, statistics available to the EFCC shows that out of about 28 commercial banks in Nigeria, 10 banks evacuated out of Nigeria through Travelex Nigeria Limited the sums of GBP- 50,832,560; USD-8,057,756; EURO-39,986,560 and RAND-7,500,000. The reasons for these evacuations are still sketchy. We must note that the impact of illicit financial flows from the country undermine the stability and integrity of the financial institutions.”

The EFCC boss also expressed concern that the culture of large cash transactions is still being allowed in some banks, adding that there was no commensurate reporting of those transactions to the relevant agencies.

According to him, the banks still operate accounts without Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), and have remained complacent in reporting those accounts to the relevant authorities, or freeze the accounts in accordance with the CBN policy.

“The banks are rather complacent in dealing with Crypto-currency or bitcoins as the case may be and have not taken measure to monitor such transactions or put adequate surveillance on such accounts. The banks are observed to still hold customers accounts in their suspense accounts, making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to trace and have access to those funds.”

Magu said that intelligence reports have shown that banks are aiding their customers to receive foreign financial inflows to their accounts in neighbouring countries, where they have branches like Ghana, Republic of Niger and other West African countries.

“The money is then couriered into Nigeria through the land borders to circumvent declaration and reporting.”

He said that banks had the habit of under-reporting transactions in some cases while carrying out defensive filing of transactions after they had been consummated.

Describing them as “gatekeepers,” Magu said no country could control illicit financial flows without the cooperation of financial institutions.

He, therefore, charged the managing directors to join hands with the Commission to save the country from being hijacked by criminals.

Magu, who spoke on the theme: “Roles and Obligations of Managing Directors of Banks in Nigeria in Curbing Vote Buying During an Election, Illicit Financial Flows and Other Related Matters in Nigeria.”

The EFCC Chairman, in his address, recalled that the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, during a meeting with Bankers’ Committee sometime in September 2018, made a commitment to work with the EFCC and the banks to curb this menace.

He said illicit financial flows would reduce the amount of resources available to the government to provide critical social services to the citizenry.

According to the anti-graft czar, vote buying during elections would prevent credible candidates from running for political offices, adding that “in Nigeria, vote buying has reached an alarming proportion to the extent that politicians have now spread their tentacles to election officials, security agencies, election observers and even the media”.

Magu, however, lamented that the illicit financial flows out of the country was on the increase and that politicians were still “perpetrating and trying to finalise their acts of vote buying.”

“It is also worthy of note that illicit financial flows during election are a common denominator and can be tied to vote buying. Politicians either bring in money to further their cause or try to export money to their cohorts outside the country to get them to influence the elections in one way or the other.”

Why Ex Gov Kwankwaso Left APC For PDP, Gov Ganduje Reveals

Editorial staff

February 8, 2019

Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Gov Umar Ganduje

Kano state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje has revealed why his predecessor, Senator Rab’u Musa Kwankwaso left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking today, Friday, while receiving Alhaji Ibrahim Na-Kaduna, chairman of the PDP from Yalwa Ward in Dala Local Government Area of the State, Governor Ganduje said that Kwankwaso gave as condition for returning to the APC, support of his candidacy for the Presidency.

“We told him point-blank that as far as we are concerned, there is no vacancy in the Villa. We made him to understand vividly clear that we could not support any other candidate apart from President Muhammadu Buhari.”

“Kwankwaso was only busy doing what he thought were ways to get to President Muhammadu Buhari to tell him that he wanted to stage a comeback.

“But when he saw the handwriting on the wall clearly, he retreated. This is so because we told our President not to take any serious action and not to even entertain him, until after the general elections.

“If we accept him before elections, he could beat his chest at the end of it and boast that he made the victory possible. We now said let him rejoin when election is over. That is after the victory come calling.

“This effort of rescuing Kwankwasiyya followers, which is tagged ‘Operation Tsamar Nama’ is designed to, specifically, help those followers understand the true picture of the predicament they are in. So we are welcoming you for this giant step you have just taken.”

Na-Kaduna, who was presented to Ganduje by member representing Dala local Government Area in the State House of Assembly, Babangida Yakudima, lamented how Kwankwaso has been insensitive to the plight of his followers.

“Kwankwaso is only interested in putting his followers to many troubles and political crises.

“When such things happen, before you know it, he takes to his heel. How can such a person be a leader?

“At a point in time, the North Central Senatorial candidate in PDP, Madakin Gini, had wanted to run away from the Kwankwasiyya group.

“Plans were on top gear, but all of a sudden, we just heard that he made a U-turn. That he is still with Kwankwaso.”

2019 Polls: Nigeria Announces Closure Of Its Borders

Editorial staff

February 8, 2019

Nigeria has announced that it will temporarily close its borders during the general elections, beginning next week Saturday, February 16, to guarantee more security.

The minister of Interior, retired Lt. General Abdrahaman Dambazau, who made the announcement on behalf of the federal government said that security operatives will do everything possible to secure borders especially during the elections.

General Dambazau, at the launching of the situation room of the Nigeria Internal Security and Public Safety Alert System (NISPSAS) today, Friday, said: “I want to assure you that we are very conscious of our borders particularly now and everything we can do to protect our borders during elections we will do.

“During the periods of elections all the borders will be temporarily closed till the elections are over.

“When we came in in 2015 one of the challenges we met was this lack of coordination among our security agencies.

“Lack of collaboration and cooperation and we tried to look at various ways to make things possible because without this collaboration, there so many implications.

“One of them is that you cannot really coordinate their activities well another disadvantage is the fact that you cannot have that synergy and they are bound to waste resources.

He added: “This will make them not to achieve the objectives of public safety and internal security which is the major mandate of this ministry.

“This is how we thought of having a situation room within the ministry that will link up to all the services so that we can have to monitor their activities anytime.

“We embarked on this project since 2016. This has digitalised their activities. Immigration can also with this monitor activities at the land borders and also the fire service could be able to create an alert system whereby if there is fire any part of the country they can monitor and respond. We should have the capacity to respond to incidents.

“I thank God that today we are launching this internal security and public safety alert system which linked to all the services. This app is user-friendly. The public can report any incident using this app.”

NISPSAS is an integrated and single mobile application developed to assist the public access prompt response to emergencies and public safety concern the Federal Ministry of Interior situation coordination.

CBN Intervenes With $279.13 Million, CNY 46.92 Million In Retail SMIS

Editorial staff

February 8, 2019

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has again made interventions in the Retail Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS) of the Foreign Exchange market totaling $279.13 million and CNY 46.92.

Figures of the sales today, Friday, showed that the sum of $279,128,518.66 was injected to meet requests of customers in the agricultural, airlines, petroleum products and raw materials and machinery sectors.

The bank’s Director, Corporate Communications Department, Isaac Okorafor confirmed that the sum of CNY46,924,114.04 was for payment of Renminbi-denominated Letters of Credit for agriculture as well as raw materials.

Friday’s transaction was in addition to the $210 million injected into the Wholesale, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Invisibles segments of the market on Tuesday, February 5, 2019.

Okorafor expressed the satisfaction of the apex bank’s management at the stability in the different segments of the foreign exchange market, attributing the level of stability to the bank’s transparency in foreign exchange transactions.

With the exchange rates closing at N358/$1 today, Friday, Okorafor, expressed confidence that the Naira will continue to enjoy stability, given the periodic interventions of the Bank in the inter-bank segment.

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