Home Blog Page 1131

Case Against CJN Onnoghen Can’t Stand, Presidency Vows; Says Buhari Not Aware Of It

The Presidency has vowed that actions by the anti-corruption agencies to try the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen cannot stand, saying that President Muhammadu Buhari is not aware of it.

A senior government official, who reacted to the issue, on condition of anonymity, stressed that the President has no hand in the so called impending trial of the CJN, adding: ”it is false and reprehensible. President Buhari respects the judiciary and will not support anything that takes away from this.”

Sources hinted that President Buhari was livid with anger when he learnt of the action, saying that the President even put a call through to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) who denied knowledge of it also.

They said that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo also made frantic calls to everyone who could know and they claimed not to be aware.

A source in the Presidency confirmed that the plot may have been hatched by 5th columnists in the corridors of power who designed it to embarrass the Presidency and create misunderstanding between the judiciary and the Federal Government.

The source explained that the only impact such an action would generate at this time is distasteful.

“Let me tell you point blank Mr. President is not aware and was shocked at the development. It is not going to fl.”

Another official said that whatever may be the merits of the case being put against the CJN, it is not advisable at this time.

“So it is not about the rightness of the planned action.”

Asked whether the plot will go forward, the source said: “what is certain right now is that this came as a shock to the Presidency and does not enjoy approval of any kind. You can figure out the rest.”

According to several reports in the media today,  the Federal Government will on Monday January 14, arraigned the CJN before the Justice Danladi Yakubu led- Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja on charges of failure to declare his assets as required by law and for operating Bank Domiciliary Foreign Currency Accounts.

Source: Per Second.

Dino Melaye Lying On Floor, In Front Of DSS Head Office, Abuja

The Senator, representing Kogi State West Senatorial Area in the red Chamber of the National Assembly, Dino Melaye, lying on the floor of the Directorate of State Security (DSS) in Abuja, the nation’s Federal Capital.

This was after he was moved from the Police Hospital in Abuja to the DSS medical facility in Abuja and he reportedly refused to enter the main building of the DSS centre.

Instead, he took position on the floor within the premises.

Police Accuses Senate President Of Peddling Lies

File Photo of police PRO, Jimoh Moshood addressing press

The Nigeria Police Force has said that all the allegations in the statement of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki against the Inspector General of Police are incorrect, misleading and false and should be disregarded and discountenanced by the general Public.
The Police referred to the statement in the media credited to the Senate President that the entire world should hold the Inspector General responsible if anything untoward happens to members of his (Saraki’s ) family and himself, saying that all the allegations by the Senate President are incorrect, misleading and false.

According to the spokesman of the Force, Jimoh Moshood in a statement today, Friday, the Police did not give any protection to any political thug or shield any APC thug to go to family quarters of the Senate President in Agbaji, Ilorin and vandalize houses, shops and inflict wounds with machete on three people as claimed by the Senate President.

“The Police did not receive any complaint or report of gunshot and wounding as claimed by the Senate President in other areas he mentioned such as Adewole/Adeta, Ile-otan and ubandawaki/pakata.
“For avoidance of doubt, there was no complaint reported at any Police division within Ilorin metropolis or any other Police Division on the 10th January, 2019 to today 11th January 2019 of any attack, wounding, shooting and destruction of any property by any individual (s) or any political party on their members.

“However, Security within Ilorin metropolis and other locations in kwara State has beefed-up to ensure security of all Nigerians living in the State.
“It is pertinent to state that all Police personnel attached to the person of the Senate President, his office and family are intact and all the statutory security protection on the person of the Senate President are also accorded him all the time and there was no complaint from the Senate President before now to the Police on this.
“It is incumbent on the Force to set the record straight and correct the wrong impressions that must have been created in the minds of the general Public and the International Community from the misinformation and misleading account from the Senate President. The Inspector General of Police did not try any trick to implicate the Senate President in some criminal charges; the facts are in the public domain about the suspects of the Offa Bank Robbery now being prosecuted who implicated the Senate President in the matter.
“The Nigeria Police Force is hereby assuring all Nigerians that the Nigeria Police Force has no any undisguised hostility to the Senate President or his supporters in Kwara State or to jeopardize or undermine his personal security and that of his immediate and larger family. The Force will continue to be apolitical and will ensure adequate security throughout the Country for all political parties, their members and supporters before, during and after the 2019 General Election.”

Ooni Leads South West Royal Fathers To Thank Buhari For What He’s Done For The Region

President Buhari receives in courtesy visit some Traditional Rulers from South West in State House on 11th Jan 2019

Co-Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi led other top traditional rulers to the Presidential Villa, Abuja today, Friday, to register their appreciation for all the good things President Muhammadu Buhari has so far done for the region.

Others on the Ooni’s entourage are Alake of Egbaland and Chairman Ogun State Council of Traditional Rulers, Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III.

Speaking to news men shortly after the visit, the Ooni of Ife made it clear that they were not in the Villa for politics, adding: “we are here to talk about development for our people in all the states of the south western Nigeria. We are here to point out the good things Mr. President has been doing, especially the cordial relationship with the Vice President who is from the south western part of the country. Historically, we know the issues of presidents and Vice Presidents in Nigeria; we have not experienced such.

“We are here to further request from Mr. President good things that we want for our various states. When you are doing well, you will first of all appreciate the good things before asking for more. What is critical for us here is to champion development for our people.

“We spoke about the inclusion of youths in the current government and also women inclusion. In terms of demography of voting pattern, we know that everything rest on the shoulders of Nigerian youths. We want to see them in this cabinet.

“So we are here to be identified with development and progress of our nation, more especially South West.

Ooni called on Nigerians to ensure peaceful election and for them to live in peace amongst themselves.

According to him, what is critical is for the citizens to know that Nigeria is greater than all of us, adding: “no amount of money they will promise the youths to disrupt and to destabilize the country; they should know they are making history for themselves.

“They (the politicians) will come and they will go but Nigeria will remain. We traditional rulers who are very fortunate to still be alive, have experienced many Presidents, many Governors and one thing is that a president cannot use more than eight years; that is in the constitution of Nigeria. So, Nigeria is greater than the President.

“So, our message to everyone in Nigeria is that please, especially Nigerian youths, go and vote for whoever you want to vote for. Mr. President had even said so by himself. It is not a do or die affair. Whatever you want t to use your power of your thumb for, go ahead and do it. We as traditional rulers are just here to play the fatherly role and make sure all is well in our nation.”

CBN Injects $263 Million, CNY 39 Million Into Retail SMIS

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has again, injected the sum of $263 million into the Retail Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS), being its first intervention in that sector this year.

This was in addition to the sum CNY 39 million consummated through a combination of spot and short-tenored forwards, arising from bids received from authorized dealers.

The figures obtained from the CBN revealed that the US dollar-denominated interventions were for requests in the agricultural and raw materials sectors while the Yuan sale was for payment of Renminbi-denominated Letters of Credit for agriculture as well as raw materials.

The CBN’s Director of Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor, said that the move is in furtherance of the CBN Governor’s avowed commitment to ensuring foreign exchange liquidity in the system as well as boosting trade and production.

With the rates closing at N359/$1 today, Friday, Okorafor expressed confidence that the CBN, in the weeks ahead, will sustain its intervention through the sale of foreign exchange to all segments of the market to

meet all legitimate foreign exchange demand in the market while also striving to achieve exchange rate stability in the market.

Okorafor said that the apex bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, will unfold the Bank’s plans for the year during the first Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting for the year, scheduled for January 21 to 22.

Surrender, Group Advises Atiku As Top PDP Leaders Defect In Drove

Niyi akinsiju

A group, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has advised the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar to consider throwing in the towel in order to avoid a shattering defeat at the polls on February 16.

The Buhari group gave this advice in reaction to the defection of four top notchers of the PDP to All Progressive Congress (APC).

The group recalled that Bauchi State PDP publicity secretary Yayanuwa Zainabari had confirmed the defection, describing it as “shocking and a big slap to the party ahead of the 2019 polls.” 

The group said that the way and manner Atiku Abubakar, as well as his party PDP, are daily losing support from prominent members of the party to the ruling APC is absolutely alarming.

In a statement by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, BMO said that even the party cannot deny that the loss of its Deputy Chairman, Babayo Garba Gamawa, amongst others, to the APC is massive.

“We have nothing but sympathy for Atiku at this time that he has lost some of his trusted supporters who have abandoned him to team up with President Buhari.

“Nothing could be more demoralising than losing the number two man of your party with few days to what is almost certain to be his last attempt to clinch a seat that he had coveted since the 1990s.

“Babayo Gamawa is not only PDP’s deputy National Chairman but also a member of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council from the same North-East geo-political zone as the former Vice President.

“So we at BMO believe that it may be ideal for the PDP candidate to pull out of the Presidential race to save himself from what is almost certain to be a crushing defeat that would end up demystifying him as a political force.”

The group also noted the defection of the former PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu who is known in the opposition ranks as the ‘game changer’.

“If there is any defection that is bound to hit Atiku hard, it is that of the former Bauchi State governor whose election as the PDP chairman just before the 2015 election was a popular choice.

“Here is a man whose daughter is married to the former Vice President’s son but opted to ignore family ties to support President Buhari’s re-election bid because he clearly knows the difference between the two.

“If there are people who know Atiku well, Muazu certainly would be numbered among them and now that he has joined the governing party, there is no clearer message to undecided voters across the country that President Buhari is the better choice.

“With Mu’azu’s decision to dump PDP, it is safe to say that the little chance the PDP has to improve on the 86,085 votes it had in 2015 when APC polled 931,598 votes in one of the President’s traditional strongholds has virtually disappeared.”

BMO said that contrary to the impression created by PDP elements to water down their loss, none of the politicians who may have joined the ruling party to escape the glare of anti graft agencies would be spared if found to have pending corruption cases.

“This is in line with what President Buhari said in a recent interview with This Day’s Board of Editors that defection to the governing APC is not a blank amnesty from prosecution for anyone found to have breached public trust.”

Buhari Expresses Surprise Over Continued Illegal Tax Collections In Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed surprise that illegal tax collections still persist across major parts of the country long after they were abolished, thereby hindering effective functioning of private sector businesses.

“I am appalled to learn that these illegal tax collections still persist. Bad habits are not easily dropped.”

The President, who was reacting to the leadership of the Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers Association of Nigeria (AUFCDN), which drew his attention to the unhealthy practice of illegal tax collections, said that his government has genuine  intention to eliminate illegal taxes in the country, despite the fact that “old habits die hard.

“Let me assure you that relevant security agencies will be reminded of their duties in preventing these bad practices and safeguarding people like you who go about their legitimate businesses.

“I will take up all your appeals and complaints in due course and together with State Governments, we will attend to your proposals.”

Buhari described the association as very important and strategic to the nation’s economy, adding:  “the merchandise and products you trade in are basic to any economy. The real wealth of this country lies in agriculture and livestock rearing.”

He pledged that his government would continue to do its best to assist the sector, noting that some of the more advanced countries like Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and Denmark built their economies primarily on agriculture and livestock trade.

On the 2019 elections, President Buhari appreciated the associations’ support for his government even as he recalled that they also demonstrated their solidarity for his candidacy in the build-up to the 2015 elections.

The General Secretary of the Union, Alhaji Ahmed Alarama, declared that they will work for the re-election of President Buhari because of the great strides his administration has taken to put the country on the path of sustainable growth.

Alarama advised the President to ensure that the union is represented on the national campaign teams for the Buhari/Osinbajo re-election movement as a way of playing the campaign role effectively.

On the issue of illegal tax collections, Alarama reported that roadblocks are mounted by unknown persons on several highways including those in Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, Abia, Enugu, Anambra, Imo and Bayelsa States and these continue to constitute a hindrance to our businesses.

He commended the Buhari government for the progress of work on the Lagos-Ibadan rail project, even as he called on the Federal Government to establish a food and livestock market with close proximity to road and rail around Lagos-Ogun State expressway.

Can Bukola Saraki Save Himself From Imminent Political Storm, Asks Ibrahim Musa

Senate President, Bukola Saraki

Bukola Saraki, President of the Senate and the Director General of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign is suffering and needs urgent attention. Were he still familiar with Medicine- his primary profession- he could have properly examined himself for the destructive symptoms of delirium and hallucination. If he were, we would have urged him to embrace the age-old axiom: Physician heals thyself!

Nothing demonstrates Bukola’s fusty state of mind than his recent hallucinations with official figures of fuel importation into the country. Saraki had claimed during an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday that Nigeria’s petrol consumption is about 20-22 million litres per day and that the current import level of about 50 million litres per day is a “a big-time fraud.”

Saraki rubbished his position as the number three man in the Government when he made such a grave deliberate falsification of figures without quoting any official document. The senate president glibly stated that “any expert” will tell you that Nigeria’s daily PMS consumption could not be more than 22 million litres.

Everyone understands that this is campaign season and politicians would capitalize on anything that could give them electoral victory. But it becomes an unpardonable political gaffe for anyone, especially a President of the Nigerian Senate, to lie about figures that are documented just to sell himself to the electorate.

Let us remind Saraki that the 7thSenate of which he was a member conducted several hearings on fuel subsidy and NNPC where it was publicly disclosed that the daily PMS consumption in 2014 and 2015 was 35-40 million litres. In January 2014, for example, the average monthly consumption was 38 million litres per day.

By January 2015, under the same government of PDP they reported 36 million litres per day and in March 2015 the daily consumption reported by the PDP Government was 45 million litres, while importation was at levels above 80 million litres per day. These are official figures in the custody of the senate, and most likely in the document shelve of Saraki.

It is strange that Saraki would now tell Nigerians on television years later that fuel consumption figure had gone down to 20-22 million litres of fuel per day! It defies economic logic, and even commonsense to suggest that a country where population, rural-urban drift and vehicles are on the increase will see such a drastic fall in fuel consumption rate.

During the same interview, Saraki also exposed his fading political career when he blamed the rejection of his presidential candidate by Nigerians, especially wealthy donors on the Muhammadu Buhari Administration. He accused the Administration of stifling the opposition because no one is willing to donate to his cause.

Read him: “The atmosphere does not allow the kind of campaigns people are used to. The general feeling is that the APC is choking the campaigns. If you look at support groups, fund raising dinners. Fund raising dinners in 2015 were everywhere. People were having dinners with the business community trying to raise money. Now most business communities don’t even want to come out and see that they are getting involved in politics. The environment now is different”, he said.

Saraki should be ashamed of himself for blaming the Administration for the rejection of his campaign. Is Saraki so delirious that he has become incapable of analyzing situations rightly? Is he so dumb that he cannot see his own political denouement? Can he not see, as most Nigerians have seen, that he, like a film unraveling before our very eyes, is coming to an end?

No responsible Nigerian will be willing to donate to the presidential ambition of either Saraki or his principal Atiku Abubakar, after what is already in the public space about them and some of their colleagues. Saraki has become a bad product even in his home state of Kwara. His famed but phantom political empire has crumbled under the weight of his infamous actions. His masquerade has been unmasked and he no longer has a hiding place.

Anyone who doubts my views should just walk into any streets in Ilorin, the state capital, and ask questions about Saraki. It is shocking, but not unexpected, how quickly Saraki seemed to have unraveled. Today, influential clerics in the state are denouncing him and his political ideology, and urging people of the state to reject him and everything he stands for. His candidate lost the bye-election into the House of Representatives recently conducted by INEC in the senatorial district of Governor Ahmed!

Saraki also said the campaign for the forthcoming election should not be on sentiments but be based on “what we see.” And he went on to make his characteristic false claims that there were no security problems in 2015 in the North West, North Central and North East! But that today all three zones have security challenges. I beg your pardon?

Did Saraki truly believed himself when he uttered those statements? Or was he just playing his usual politics of mischief and propaganda? Even school children would know Saraki was lying through his teeth. Where was Saraki in 2013 when cattle rustling started in Kaduna and Plateau States and scores were being killed? Where was he in 2014 when Benue(Agatu) experienced the worst bloodletting in their history at a time their son, David Mark, was senate president? Where was Saraki when hoodlums killed over 100 mobile policemen in a Lafia, Nasarawa State while on a mission to arrest a so-called spiritual leader of a village in 2014?

I could go on and on. But the point is not to celebrate crisis but to put the current crisis in proper perspective. It is undeniable that almost the whole of Northern Nigeria was paralyzed economically by the Boko Haram insurgency May 2015 when Buhari was sworn-in as president. Less than one year after his inauguration, the North came back to life and businesses started booming again. The recent unfortunate resurgence of Boko Haram activities cannot diminish the commendable achievement of our military and the resolve of the Buhari administration to bequeath a prosperous, secure and peaceful Nigeria to our youths.

Saraki deserves pity because his days of glory are counting out. Although it may be too early yet to conclude that the lofty narrative of a silver spoon thrust into political leadership by his father is about to end. But if the morning shows the day, we may be witnessing his tragic denouement. And nothing demonstrates the turn of events better than his unaccustomed struggles at home. He is facing continuing revolt and rejection in his home state of Kwara where he has held sway for the past 16 years, first as two-term governor and as political godfather of the current governor Abdulfatah Ahmed. He must ask himself questions about where and how he got it wrong. If he does, and is able to redeem himself, perhaps he may save himself from the imminent political storm.

Atiku’ll Return Nigeria To More Looting – US Political Risk Consultancy Firm

An America political risk consultancy firm, Eurasia Group, has said that the President candidate of the Nigeria’s main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, will look to enriching himself and his cronies if he wins the presidential elections holding on February 16.

In its annual report for 2019, the group described Atiku as a “gerontocrat who would focus on enriching himself and his cronies, avoiding the difficult and politically unpopular tasks necessary for reform.”

Eurasia Group, in the report published on December 7, said however that Atiku, because of “his better health and keener intellect” compared to President Muhammadu Buhari, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), “would create a brief, superficial boost to the country’s image.

“But it would also pose the risk of a return to an even more rent-seeking governing style,” the group added.

Eurasia Group’s Top 10 risks report put Nigeria as the 10th risk with a focus on the nation’s February 2019 elections.

Atiku, who was Nigeria’s Vice President for eight years, will be contending the February election with about 59 candidates with his main contender being the incumbent President Buhari.

He has continued to tout his experience in government and business as being what the country needs, citing his role in overseeing economic reforms amid solid growth under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

His proposed policy program has emphasized job creation, and he has promised to implement liberal economic policies if elected, including scrapping the current system of multiple exchange rates that he describes as “anti-business.”

However, critics consider Atiku as a corrupt figure, a perception that dates from his time in Obasanjo’s administration when he allegedly accumulated significant holdings in oil and banking enterprises and built a sizeable real estate portfolio.

Source: The Guardian

Congo Faces Political Turmoil As Opposition Leader Wins Presidential Election

Felix Tshisekedi | photo by Independent.ie

Congo may be heading to political unrest following the announcement of the 55 year old opposition leader, Felix Tshisekedi, as the winner of the Presidential election which was conducted on December 30 last year.

Reports said that the runner-up, Martin Fayulu had denounced the result even as France, Belgium and the Catholic Church have all cast doubt on the results. This is also as the chaotic vote in the vast and volatile nation of 80 million people has raised fears of renewed violence and at least two people were killed in clashes at one town in the west.

The country’s electoral commission (CENI) announced at about 3.00 am. (0200 GMT) today, Thursday, that Felix Tshisekedi had won the election, edging out Martin Fayulu, who is another opposition candidate and a businessman.

Fayulu described the results as “electoral coup” engineered by outgoing President Joseph Kabila to deny him the presidency, even as France said the outcome was at odds with tallies provided by observers from the Catholic Church. These showed Fayulu winning, according to three diplomats briefed on the findings.

Publicly, the church said also that its tally did not match official results.

Anger over the results, and particularly the Fayulu camp’s suspicions that Tshisekedi won by cutting a power-sharing deal with Kabila, could cast a cloud over what is meant to be Congo’s first democratic transfer of power in 59 years of independence.

Tshisekedi’s camp has acknowledged contact with Kabila’s representatives since the election but said they were aimed at ensuring a peaceful transition and denied a deal.

In contrast to previous polls, election officials did not provide a regional breakdown of the results.

Reaction across the country was mixed.

In the town of Kikwit, 500 km (310 miles) from the capital Kinshasa, early on Thursday, security forces opened fire after crowds attacked symbols of government.

At least two people died in the melee, a local journalist and a U.N. source said.

There were celebrations in parts of Kinshasa and the south of the country, where Tshisekedi has broad support.

Towns in Katanga, the eastern mining heartland, were calm.

But protests were reported in the central town of Kisangani, and Fayulu supporters vented their frustrations.

“We will never accept this nomination.

“It’s not a victory for Felix.

“CENI has appointed him,” said Georges Bingi, a member of Fayulu’s party in the eastern city of Goma.

Fayulu can appeal the results to Congo’s constitutional court but has not yet indicated whether he will.

By contrast, the campaign of Kabila’s hand-picked candidate, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, who finished a distant third, conceded.

“Of course, we are not happy as our candidate lost, but the Congolese people have chosen, and democracy has triumphed,’’ Shadary spokesman, Barnabe Kikaya Bin Karubi, told Reuters.

Tshisekedi’s win raises questions over the future of Kabila, who has governed since his father’s assassination in 2001 and overstayed the official end of his mandate by two years.

Kabila said before the vote he planned to remain involved in politics and could not rule out running again for president in 2023 when he will no longer be term-limited.

Tshisekedi inherited the leadership of the UDPS party when his father, Etienne, died in 2017.

But he lacks the experience, political clout and firebrand reputation his father earned during years campaigning for democracy under three successive presidents.

No details of any deal have emerged.

But in the run-up to the results, Tshisekedi said Kabila had nothing to fear should he come to power, comments analysts interpreted as efforts to reassure the president and his supporters that interests accumulated over two decades in power were not at risk.

Fayulu, however, is backed by ex-rebel Jean-Pierre Bemba and former governor Moise Katumbi, two of Kabila’s fiercest rivals.

Any escalation in the Fayulu camp’s rhetoric or actions risks igniting Congo’s cycle of unrest, particularly in the volatile eastern borderlands where he enjoyed strong support and dozens of militia groups are active.

It is unclear whether voting will ever be held in parts of eastern Congo where the election was delayed – disenfranchising more than 1.2 million people – due to concerns about Ebola and violence.

Tshisekedi’s margin over Fayulu was less than 700,000 votes, according to the official results.

Members of Tshisekedi’s UDPS party called the election a historic triumph in a struggle for democracy.

The inauguration was scheduled for Jan. 18.

“Today marks the liberation of the people,’’ said Simphora Biduaya, a candidate for provincial assembly in the east.

But French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said Tshisekedi’s victory contrasted with observations in the field.

“We must have clarity on these results, which are the opposite of what we expected,’’ Le Drian told CNews.

Belgium said it would use its temporary seat on the U.N. Security Council to also seek clarification.

If Tshisekedi’s victory is confirmed in the next 10 days by the constitutional court, he will become the first leader to take power at the ballot box since Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba.

He was toppled in a coup less than three months after independence in 1960 and killed four months later.

Source: Reuters/NAN.

Advertisement ADVERTORIAL
WP2Social Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com