Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has suspended the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mounir H. Gwarzo, from Office, to allow for an investigation of several allegations of financial impropriety leveled against him. A statement by the Deputy Director in the ministry, Patricia Deworitshe, said that the suspension is in line with the Public Service Rules 03405 and 03406. The statement said that the minister has set up an Administrative Panel of Inquiry (API) to investigate and determine the culpability of the Director-General. “She has directed the suspended SEC Director-General to immediately handover to the most senior officer at the Commission, pending the conclusion of investigation by the API. “Also suspended are two management staff of the Commission – Mr. Abdulsalam Naif Habu, Head of Media Division and Mrs. Anastasia Omozele Braimoh, Head of Legal Department – who have been alleged to engage in financial impropriety in the Commission.”[myad]
Former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has said that he is never bothered about negative comments from some quarters that trailed his resignation from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Atiku told media owners and managers from the old Middle Belt of Nigeria that he is used to such comments since he joined politics about 28 years ago. The former Vice President insisted that he knew how to fix the nation’s economy, which was why he pulled out of the APC to find ways of putting things right. Atiku said that he had discovered that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has no economic programme for the country. According to him, all other things, including security revolve around the economy which is why citizens of the country are going through hardships.[myad]
Slave Trade: President Buhari Promises To Evacuate Nigerians From Libya
President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to evacuate Nigerians in Libya against the backdrop of report of slave trade in that country. The President Buhari, who addressed Nigerians resident in Abidjan, promised also to bring back Nigerians in other parts of the world for rehabilitated. He said that efforts would be made to reduce the number of Nigerians heading for Europe illegally through the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea. He promised to provide basic social amenities such as education, healthcare, and food security at home. In an interactive session with members of the Nigerian Community in Cote D’ Ivoire, on the margins of the 5th AU-EU Summit, President Buhari said that all necessary steps will be taken to stem the tide of illegal migration by Nigerians. He, however, noted that it is very difficult to know the origin of the people who died, while attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean, because of lack of documentation. “When it was announced that 26 Nigerians died recently in the Mediterranean, before they proved that they were all Nigerians they buried them. “But the evidence I have from the Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs, (Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa) is that only three of them were identified as Nigerians. But I’ll not be surprised if the majority of them were Nigerians. “For people to cross the Sahara desert and Mediterranean through shanty boats… we will try and keep them at home. But anybody who died in the desert and Mediterranean without documents; to prove that he is a Nigerian, there is absolutely nothing we can do.” Reacting to a recent footage on the sale of Africans in Libya, President Buhari said it was appalling that “some Nigerians (in the footage) where being sold like goats for few dollars in Libya. “After 43 years of Gadhafi, why are they recruiting so many people from the Sahel including Nigerians? All they learned was how to shoot and kill. They didn’t learn to be electricians, plumbers or any other trade.” On domestic issues, President Buhari told Nigerians in the Diaspora that there is “good news from home” in the area of security, economy and anti-corruption. “We are not doing too badly in trying to secure the country, improve the economy and deal with corruption. “We are doing our best at all levels including security. It is absolute madness for people to blow others up in markets, churches, and mosques. No religion advocates violence. Justice is the basic thing all religions demand and you can’t go wrong if you do it.” On food security, the President said that his vision of repositioning Nigeria as a food-secure nation is on course as the country is on the verge of attaining food security. He attributed the development to positive agricultural reform programmes and bumper harvest occasioned by good weather. According to the President, interventions through the Anchors Borrows Programme of the CBN and the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative, among others, had been very successful in the agricultural reform initiative. “People have gone back to the farm. We got the CBN, agriculture minister and money was provided at very low interest to farmers and the farmers responded and it was very positive. “We are lucky that we are in a position to feed ourselves. So we are going to have food security in Nigeria earlier than anybody ever thought.” The President advised Nigerians in Cote D’ Ivoire to be good ambassadors in their host country, warning that the Embassy will not hesitate to repatriate those who tarnish the image of the country abroad.[myad]
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has suspended his senior special assistant on political matters, Abdulsalam Yahaya for what he called ‘misconduct’ bordering on dereliction of duty. The governor, who also announced the redeployment of political appointees as well as civil service, said that Abdulsala Yahaya, from the East Senatorial Area, would be on suspension for one month. Governor Yahaya who said that he is acting under the powers vested in him as the Executive Governor of Kogi State, said that the suspended senior special assistant would be redeployed from his current office and to resume on January 1st, next year as Senior Special Assistant to the governor on youth empowerment. Other changes which Governor Yahaya Bello made were as follows: NAVY COMMANDER JERRY OMODARA is redeployed from STATE SECURITY ADVISER to SPECIAL ADVISER TO THE GOVERNOR ON VIGILANTE SERVICES, CROSS-BOUNDARY MIGRATIONS AND INTER-COMMUNITY RELATIONS. HAJIA LADI MARIAM IBRAHIM is elevated from SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON LAND MATTERS to DIRECTOR-GENERAL, LANDS AND HOUSING SERVICES BUREAU. MR. IBRAHIM ODOMA is redesignated SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON LANDS AND HOUSING SERVICES. MR. ABUBAKAR MUHAMMED MUKTAR is redeployed from SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON YOUTH EMPOWERMENT (KOGI EAST) to SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON POLITICAL MATTERS (ANKPA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY). He will act for the suspended Mr. Abdulsalami Yahaya till 31st December, 2017. ALHAJI JIBRIL AKPA OMALE is elevated from SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON GRASSROOTS NETWORKING, DEKINA/BASSA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY to SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON POLITICAL MATTERS (DEKINA/BASSA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY). MR. ABU ODOMA is hereby appointed SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON POLITICAL MATTERS (IDAH FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY). MR. HARUNA MAHMUD EBOH is hereby appointed SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON GRASSROOTS NETWORKING (DEKINA/BASSA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY). MR. YUSUF LAMIDI ADABARA is hereby appointed SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON POLITICAL MATTERS (AJAOKUTA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY). ALHAJI SULEIMAN ABDULHAMEED S. is redeployed from Part Time Member, Kogi State Hajj Commission to SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON POLITICAL MATTERS (LOKOJA/KOGI/KOTO FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY). MR. ISHOLA DAVID SUNDAY is redeployed from SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON POLITICAL MATTERS (KOGI WEST) to SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON POLITICAL MATTERS (YAGBA FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY). MR. AROKOYO JULIUS OJO is elevated from SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON GRASSROOTS NETWORKING (KOGI WEST) to SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON POLITICAL MATTERS (KABBA/BUNU FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY). MR. OLUSAKIN MAJEKODUNMI is elevated from PART TIME MEMBER, KOGI STATE TEACHING SERVICE COMMISSION to SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON GRASSROOTS NETWORKING (KABBA/BUNU/IJUMU FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY). ALHAJI ABDULLAHI BELLO is redeployed from SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON POLITICAL MATTERS (KOGI CENTRAL) to SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON POLITICAL MATTERS (ADAVI/OKEHI FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY). ALHAJI MOHAMMED TINKO SHEIDU is appointed SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE GOVERNOR ON POLITICAL MATTERS (OKENE/OGORI/MAGONGO FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY). ALHAJI ATIKU SALIHU is appointed PART TIME MEMBER, KOGI STATE HAJJ COMMISSION. He replaces Alhaji Suleiman Abdulhameed S. MR. OYEWOLE MAYOWA SOLOMON is appointed PART TIME MEMBER, KOGI STATE TEACHING SERVICE COMMISSION. He replaces Mr. Olusakin Majekodunmi. SHEIK LUKMAN ABDULLAHI IMAM is appointed SUBSTANTIVE CHAIRMAN, KOGI STATE HAJJ COMMISSION. MALLAM ABDULLAHI YAKUBU is hereby appointed PERMANENT MEMBER I, KOGI STATE HAJJ COMMISSION. ALHAJI MUHAMMED JAMIU ABDULBAQI is hereby appointed PERMANENT MEMBER II, KOGI STATE HAJJ COMMISSION. He replaces Sheik Lukman Abdullahi Imam. Governor Yahaya Bello said that all the appointment and redeployments took imnnediate effect, even as he said that Alhaji Suleiman AbdulHameed should continue acting as Part Time Member, Kogi State Hajj Commission until December 31st, this year. “Redeployed officials are to brief their replacements fully in writing and formally handover on or before the effective date. The Office of the State Security Adviser will be filled in due course. “The Secretary to the Kogi State Government is directed to formalise the applicable records without any delay.” [myad]
Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan held a close door meeting today, Wednesday, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar even as there are speculations that she may soon resign from President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet. Our reporter said that the Women Affairs minister, drove straight from the Presidential Villa after the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting to the residence of Atiku in Asokoro area for the close door meeting with. It would be recalled that Aisha Alhassan, popularly called ‘mama Taraba’ made it clear a few months ago that her loyalty to Atiku was unshaking despite her ministerial position in Buhari’s government. It was gathered that the minister has been making consultations with her supporters and others who are close to her since last week when Atiku formally resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). [myad]
The governor of Adamawa State, Alhaji Jibrilla Bindow has made it clear that he would not follow his political god-father, Atiku Abubakar to resign from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He said that he would continue to regard Atiku as his father, like all the elders in his state, but that he had no reason to leave the APC which he laboured hard to establish with other Nigerians. Bindow, who spokes to news men today, Tuesday shortly after a close door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said: “as far as I am concerned, I am one of the founding fathers of APC. When I was in the Senate, we were the ones, alongside the current Senate President, that worked very hard to ensure that all members of the National Assembly; that we agreed to move to APC, so, I cannot see any reason why, today, that the House I built, that I will leave. So I am in APC for the rest of my life, period.” Governor Bindow stressed that the former Vice President is more than matured enough to decide whatever he wants to decide for himself, adding that not only him, “every elder in Adamawa state, as far as I am concerned, I regard them as my parents or elders. So, Atiku remains somebody I respect as a father, and the same with any other elder in the state.” The governor considered himself “very fortunate and very rare opportunity” for him to be the first governor to formally endorse President Buhari for the 2019 Presidential election, saying: as far as we, the people of the Northeast are concerned, we will remain loyal to our President who is highly committed to the fight against insurgency. We will remain loyal to our president.”
Bindow said that Atiku’s resignation would not affect the large support the APC has been enjoying in Adamawa state, stressing that the party is strong in the state. “We have 25 members in the state assembly, 23, in fact, 24 now because one of them have moved to the APC. So, 24 out of 25 members in the House of Assembly are APC. The three Senators from the state are APC, even the House of Reps, including Adamu Kamale who recently moved to the APC. So we are strong and we will continue to be strong.”[myad]
No fewer than 3,000 staff of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have been promoted, just as the former Acting Directors were elevated to various grades. The promotions followed the 2016 promotion and confirmation exercises that were conducted by the Administration. A statement by the information department of the FCTA said that 46 Acting Directors have been confirmed as substantive Directors and deployed to various secretariats, departments and agencies (SDAs). The statement quoted the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Chinyeaka Ohaa as having given the breakdown of the officers promoted at the news briefing today, Tuesday, in Abuja. It said that the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has approved the promotions and the moves to re-position the Administration for greater productivity. The statement said that in keeping with the Minister’s commitment to strengthening FCTA institutions for effective service delivery and to reinforce incentives for greater productivity, all eligible officers for appointment into all grades of the directorate cadre would be subjected to written examinations from January 1, 2018, as applicable in the Federal Civil Service. “Similarly, appointments, promotion and discipline of all staff under the FCT Administration, including teachers, have been centralized in the FCT Department of Human Resources.” The statement said that a level playing field would be created for career advancement for all staff of the Administration even as it said that the Administration frowned at the practice where officers who enjoyed easy rides to promotion were posted across the service and became seniors over their peers who unfortunately were subjected to stricter promotion procedures. The statement said that another reform is the delineation of some Senior Secondary Schools as Grade “A” schools and would now be headed by Principals of the equivalence of Directors, on Grade Level 17. “Consequently, 10 Secondary Schools have been so graded under the 2017 budget while another 10 would be upgraded under the 2018 budget following the FCT Minister’s approval. The statement said that Directors of Administration and Finance (DAFs) who acted as Secretaries in the interval before the appointment of substantive secretaries have been reshuffled across various stations. They include: Alice Odey-Achu (Mrs) who moved from Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS) to the Transportation Secretariat; Malam Ado Faskari is now DAF for HHSS, while Justina Maimagani (Mrs), formerly of the Education Secretariat, has been moved to Health Management Board as its DAF. Others are Hajia Safiya Umar formerly of Abuja Metropolitan Management Councils (AMMC), now to serve as DAF for Legal Services Secretariat; Malam Abdelhamid Suleiman who moved from Transport Secretariat to AMMC, and Malam Musa Abdulraheem Anumah, who has been deployed to Area Council Services Secretariat as DAF. Other changes include Mrs. Eunice Ugochukwu, who now is DAF Education Secretariat, Malam Umar Marafa – Social Development Secretariat and Dr. Lazarus Gaza – former Director, Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, who has gone to Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat. Malam Baba Lawan, the former Director of Abuja Environment Protection Board (AEPB), who was redeployed to a special assignment, has been recalled to the Board. The Directors of Common Services Departments were also confirmed but retained their locations. [myad]
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has made it clear that the Southeast is not being considered in the move to recruit 14 judges to the Court of Appeal because it has already filled its quarters in the system. A statement by the Director of information in NJC, Soji Oye, Director, Information, in response to publication in an on-line medium and some newspapers alleging that the NJC left out Southeast in the 14 judges recommended for appointment to the Court of Appeal, said that the allegation is a figment of the imagination of the media. “To put the records straight, appointment of Judicial Officers to the Court of Appeal is done on merit and geographical spread. “Section 2 of Court of Appeal (Amendment) Act, 2013, governing the appointment of Justices of Court of Appeal provides that the total number of Justices to be appointed should not be more than 90 plus the President. The Court however, currently has 76 Justices leaving vacancy for additional 14 Justices. Of the 76 Justices of the Court, the North Central with 6 States and FCT has 12 Justices; North-East with 6 States has 12 Justices plus the President; North-West with 7 States has 9 Justices; South-East with 5 States has 13 Justices; South-South with 6 States has 14 Justices and South-West with 6 States has 15 Justices. “In considering appointment for the 14 vacancies, and to ensure that each zone is adequately presented, all States that have 3 serving Justices were not considered unless under special circumstances. “The States not considered are: Anambra, Bauchi, Borno, Cross-River, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kogi, Kwara and Oyo. “States like Adamawa, Kebbi and Sokoto have zero representation which informed the need to include them in the current exercise.” The statement said that appointments are made to the Court based on the elevation of Appeal Court Justices to the Supreme Court, retirement at the age of 70 years, or death. Such vacancies are filled with Judicial Officers from the Zone of the Judge who died, retired or elevated. It described as unfair, media report that the NJC recommended no Candidate from the Southeast which currently has 13 Justices at the Court of Appeal. The statement called on Journalists to always balance their report to avoid litigation.
The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend all officials, including the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, Civil Service boss, Winifred Oyo-Ita and others named in the scandalous reinstatement of fugitive former Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina to the federal civil service, for proper probe of their involvement in the saga. The Conference, which said that the decision to call for the suspension of the officers of the government was taken at a consultative meeting with representatives of civil society groups drawn from the six geo-political zones of the country, also called for a public enquiry into the scandal to unravel the truth behind the controversial return and reinstatement of the former pension taskforce boss. A statement by the Secretary General of the CNPP, Chief Willy Ezugwu said: “there are too many stories, questions, twists and names in the controversial recall game that it is impossible for any Nigerian to understand the focus of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war. “For us, the reinstatement of fugitive Abdulrasheed Maina to the Nigerian civil service, the naming of the alleged masterminded of the reinstatement as Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, and the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, the involvement of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and the Federal Civil Service Commission, the Maina’s clandestine return to Nigeria despite being on an international wanted list and the alleged revelations made by the AGF at the on-going secret probe by the Senate ad-hoc committee, have left every sane Nigerian thinking. “The AGF was said to had confessed to the Senators that indeed Maina approached him for a meeting when he was in Abu Dhabi as part of the entourage of President Muhammadu Buhari’s official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in January last 2016 but before granting him audience, he sought security clearance from the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) Lawal Musa Daura who allegedly gave him the nod on the condition that the Minister must attend the meeting along with a witness. “The President, we learnt, was also accompanied on that trip by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno; Ministers of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah; Environment, Aisha Mohammed, who is now deputy Secretary General at the UN; State Minister Petroleum, Ibe Kachukwu and that of Power, Works, and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola. “With all these names, there is now the urgent need for clarity on the part of the executive in view of the confusion associated with its much touted anti-corruption war. “Every day of the President Buhari administration, Nigerians and the international community get more and more confused about the anti-corruption direction of the government. “Therefore, for clarity and a proof that the war is not a vendetta and a mere political slogan to win the simple, all the persons involved the MainaGate must immediately step aside and an independent public probe instituted by the federal government to clear the doubts currently gathering in the air. “This must be done within 14 days if Mr. President is truly on anti-corruption war to sanitise the Nigerian political system for generations unborn to enjoy a Nigeria of our dream or the CNPP and its allies in the civil society will be forced to take a legitimate but drastic measures to save Nigeria.” The statement insisted that President Buhari should act decisively as Maina’s return and reinstatement had become an international matter, realising that the INTERPOL is involved in the manhunt for the fugitive Maina. “Today, Nigeria and her anti-corruption disposition have turned into a caricature among the comity of nations. Therefore, there is need to rise up and save the country. “At the end of 14 days and the above mention officials and those yet to be identified were not ordered to step aside by President Muhammadu Buhari, we may be forced to rise to the demands of the occasion, include picketing of the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Civil Service of the Federation, Ministry of Interior and other ministries and agencies of government named in the Maina controversy. [myad]
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced the injection of another $210,000,000 to boost liquidity in the inter-bank Foreign Exchange Market. The Acting Director in the Corporate Communications Department of the apex bank, Isaac Okorafor said in Abuja today, Tuesday, that the sum of $100 million was offered to the wholesale segment while the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) segment got an allocation of $55 million. He said that the invisibles segment (tuition fees, medical payments and Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), among others) was also allocated $55 million. Okorafor said that the releases were part of the effort aimed at boosting liquidity in the forex market, facilitating trade and easing remittances for legitimate personal commitments. The CBN chief spokesman attributed the long spell of calm in the market to the interventions of the CBN and the cooperation of all stakeholders, adding that the convergence of rates between the interbank market and the Bureau de Change segments, had made possible as customers are able to buy forex from either market at not more than N362 to a dollar. He said that despite the development, the CBN would continue in its monitoring of the market in order to ensure that authorised dealers abide by the extant rules. Meanwhile, the naira maintained its steady rate against the United States Dollar, exchanging for N361/$1 in the BDC segment of the market today, Tuesday.[myad]
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Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has suspended the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mounir H. Gwarzo, from Office, to allow for an investigation of several allegations of financial impropriety leveled against him.
The governor of Adamawa State, Alhaji Jibrilla Bindow has made it clear that he would not follow his political god-father, Atiku Abubakar to resign from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has made it clear that the Southeast is not being considered in the move to recruit 14 judges to the Court of Appeal because it has already filled its quarters in the system.
[myad]
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced the injection of another $210,000,000 to boost liquidity in the inter-bank Foreign Exchange Market.
