President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed that he would stop at nothing to wrestle corruption to the ground.
He made it clear, as he addressed the staff of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, that he will vigorously sustained the ongoing fight against corruption to rid the country of the debilitating effects of the wanton looting of public funds in past years.
He told staff who turned up in large number to welcome him back from his recent vacation that he will continue to lead the country with patriotic zeal, integrity, dedication and commitment to improving the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians.
“I have never in my life believed in corruption. If we make any mistake in what we are doing and compromise our integrity, the country will be further dragged back.
“We’ll not touch anybody that did not touch public funds. If you behave yourself, you will sleep soundly; your children and families will enjoy respect.
“But if you have short-changed the treasury, you will be caught and you’ll have your day in court.”
President Buhari thanked the State House staff for their service to the nation and urged them to remain patriotic and eschew corruption in the discharge of their duties.
“I’m asking you to re-dedicate yourself to your country. As I said thirty years ago we have no other country than Nigeria. We are determined to rehabilitate the country for coming generations.
“The process of change is not easy but with your dedication, we can deal successfully with the issues that currently confront us.” [myad]
Suspected Niger Delta militants have kidnapped five expatriates and two Nigerians on Wednesday at the Idundu axis of the Calabar-Oban road.
The incident occurred around 6am when the foreigners and their Nigerian colleagues were working for MacMahon Construction Company.
The construction firm is located at the Mfamosing Plant of United Cement Company Nigeria Limited in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State. The company is said to be one of the major contracting firms to Lafarge Holcim, owners of UniCem.
The workers, who were conveyed in four MacMahon vehicles, were escorted by a security pickup that had four armed policemen when they were attacked by the gunmen before the Idundu Bridge.
The armed police escort team could not salvage the situation while the attack lasted.
One of the expatriate identified as Tim Croot, an Australian citizen, alongside the driver of one of the vehicles whose name was given as Henshaw, were said to have escaped, while another driver, Mathew, was killed in the process.
It was learnt from a reliable source that those kidnapped were Jack Countentz (Australia); Mark Gabberdy (Australia); Peter Zoutenbier (Australia), Wayne Smith (South Africa), Jamal Khan (New Zealand), Austin Enok (Nigeria) and a driver simply identified as Howel (Nigeria).
An eyewitness, Akan Akpan, said the kidnappers came out from the bridge where they had kept their boat steaming for almost an hour before taking the expatriates and the Nigerians away.
He said,: “I was coming back from the farm this morning when the incident occurred in my presence. These kidnappers came out from the bridge, shot the driver of the vehicle and took the victims away through the river.
“The vehicles conveying the expatriates and the two Nigerians were abandoned by the road side with the dead body of the driver. From all indications, is like the expatriates were going to work at the LafargeHolcim plant in Mfamosing.
A statement issued by the Communications Officer of Lafarge, Viola Graham-Douglas, acknowledged that the kidnapped expatriates was MacMahon contractors.
In a short message, Graham-Douglas said: “One of our contractors, MacMahon, has informed us that a security incident has occurred on the road from Calabar involving some of their employees. MacMahon is working with the security agencies to resolve the situation.”
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Jimoh Ozi-Obeh, said that the police was currently working with the Nigerian Navy to ensure that the victims were released unharmed.
“The police is aware of the matter. Five persons were kidnapped; they include two Australian, one South African and two Nigerians. The driver of the vehicle was shot dead. The police will ensure that the victims are released unharmed.” [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed worry that despite the bailout funds, 27 state governments are still not able to pay monthly salaries of their workers, describing the situation as disgraceful to Nigeria. President Buhari who spoke when addressing staff of the Presidential Villa said: “The matter that may shock you is that 27 out of the 36 states couldn’t pay salaries. “This is a disgrace to Nigeria; it’s a disgrace. Up till now, some of the states cannot pay salaries. “What happened to all that we have been getting all this time? “We looked left, right, centre, up and down and said: any savings? “There was nothing because we developed a consumption that we were not supposed to develop.” Buhari advised state governments to diversify their revenue sources to strengthen their financial positions even as he asked the staff to re-dedicate themselves to your country. “As I said 30 years ago, we have no other country than Nigeria. “We are determined to rehabilitate the country for coming generations. “The process of change is not easy, but with your dedication, we can deal successfully with the issues that currently confront us.” In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Malam Jalal Arabi, thanked the President for his concern and support to the staff of the Presidency. Arabi stated the State House staff will remain loyal to the Buhari-led administration in its desire to transform the country. [myad]
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s long-term ally and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, Otunba Oyewole Fasawe, the businessman mentioned in the alleged bribery scandal involving an ex-US Congressman, Williams Jefferson, has described Governor Ayodele Fayose’s public accusation against Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, wife of Nigeria’s president, as “fallacious, baseless, misinformed and defamatory.”
Fasawe, in a statement in Abuja, exonerated Mrs. Buhari whom he said was never in any way connected with the transaction.
“We were the ones in government, and she was never a member of our party or my business associate. So, how could she have been involved in the first place,” he queried.
Although Fasawe claimed to know the said convicted former US congressman in the course of business exploration, yet he vehemently opposed Fayose’s position that President Buhari’s wife was part of the deal in any way.
“It was one venture that went awry based on misplaced trust. I was convinced the Triple Play Cable Television Network was the future of home entertainment in Nigeria. I invested considerably in the business – even having to approach my bank for further investments,” Mr. Fasawe said.
“Unfortunately, all went down the drain having been dealing with a fraud and a dupe in a person of Jefferson who used his office and the image of his nation to convince me iGate was a reputable Telecommunication Equipment Vendor. I am sure the bulk of the story is in the media, because I petitioned EFCC and the then President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“Nothing concrete was done by the then leadership of EFCC. My monies are still tied up in the US. It is high time the Nigeria Government liaised with the government of the United States to help me repatriate my monies running into tens of millions of dollars. The matter is in court as I speak, with AMCON joined as a party to the suit. This is an opportunity for President Buhari to look into the matter and bring all connected to book. Since the matter is in court, I may not be able to say much. However I seek justice, I seek the intervention of Mr. President. As a matter of fact, a petition to this effect is in the offing to be submitted to the presidency any moment from now.”
The Ondo State-born business mogul also lamented how the failed business gamble snuffed away his freedom and landed him in detention for nearly a year.
“The sad incident caused me money, time and honor. So it is very upsetting to have anyone trying to open this old wound and spicing it up with further controversy. I, therefore, advise Governor Fayose and his handlers to please desist from this unprovoked attack and unsolicited defamation to the person of Mrs. Aisha Buhari. No one should hide behind immunity clause to trample upon the rights and reputation of others with impunity,” Fasawe warned.
It will be recalled that Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Monday through press reports had revived the alleged role played by Aisha Buhari, President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife, in the bribery scandal involving U.S. Congressman Williams Jefferson.
According to media reports, “Fayose distributed a link to the U.S. Department of Justice website holding court documents where Mrs. Buhari was alleged to have transferred suspicious funds to a convicted former American congressman, William Jefferson.
“In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, Fayose said President Buhari was far from being a clean man.
“Even the President cannot claim to be an angel,” the governor said, in reaction to the freezing of his Zenith Bank account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“The estate he built in Abuja is known to us. His wife was indicted over the Halliburton Scandal (sic). When that American, Jefferson, was being sentenced, the President’s wife was mentioned as having wired $170,000 to Jefferson. Her name was on page 25 of the sentencing of Jefferson. We can serialize the judgment for people to see and read.”
“The governor’s Special Assistant on New Media, Lere Olayinka, later circulated links to and copies of the court document detailing Mrs Buhari’s mention in the scandal.
“The documents showed that in some of the exhibits tendered in convicting Mr. Jefferson of bribery, a Mrs. Buhari was mentioned as transferring $170,000 to the American politician using a firm as proxy.
“Government Exhibits 36-87 (6/26/02 $170,000 wire transfer from account in Nigeria in the name of Aisha Buhari to an account in the name of The ANJ Group, LLC, identifying “William Jefferson” as Beneficiary),” the U.S. Government Sentencing Memorandum said on page 22.”
“Mr. Fayose’s comment sparked a recollection of how Mr. Jefferson, between 2000 and 2005, used his position as member of the U.S. House of Representatives to offer illegal services to private companies for cash rewards.
“Mr. Jefferson and his family, according to U.S. authorities, received about $367,500 through his firm, ANJ Group, for services rendered to iGate, an American broadband technology provider.
“An indigenous firm, Netlink Digital Television, had signed a joint venture with iGate to set up digital satellite TV and broadband Internet services in the country. NDTV was owned by Oyewole Fasawe, a PDP chieftain at the time.
“Mr. Jefferson was contracted to help promote iGate and NDTV partnership in Nigeria.
“Following a lengthy trial, Mr. Jefferson was convicted in 2009 and sentenced to 13 years in prison.
“Although Mr. Fasawe was arrested in 2005 by the EFCC, he was never convicted.
“A report released by the EFCC on June 22, 2006, about the bribery scandal indicated that the commission investigated accounts held by Buhari, including one she had with Citizens Bank.
“A 2007 New York Times article detailed how Buhari told an acquaintance in Washington that she was a daughter of a former Nigerian head of state and a friend of Mr. Jefferson.
“As the pair struck up a conversation and subsequently became friends, Assiba, then a security guard, said she told him that her father was the former military ruler of Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari, and that her American friends included politicians like Jefferson of Louisiana.” [myad]
The Senate has rejected the list of 47 President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominees for Ambassador and instead summoned the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geofrey Onyeama.
President Buhari presented the list to the Senate for screening and confirmation about two weeks ago.
But the Senate, on Wednesday, complained of what it called lopsided list, saying that some states were excluded from the list whereas some states had up to three nominees.
Apart from this, the senators also explained that there were specific petitions against some nominees, who were said to have been picked ahead of their senior colleagues from their states of origin.
The Chief Whip, Olusola Adeyeye, cited the case of two directors on level 17, from the same state who were dropped for a junior officer.
“The two of them are in fact, already on level 17 and in making the recommendations many who are junior to them in experience and in status have been elevated above them. They therefore want some intervention from the chamber to be sure that correct process is followed.
“They also said that there are those who have served the republic meritoriously who did not get passed because of whatever might be the internal politics of the ministry.
“So, I plead that relevant committee and this chamber would take a second look at this prayer.
“We should direct that the minister for foreign affairs, and the SGF to appear before the committee on foreign affairs to explain the omissions and irregularities and the processes by which some of these names came about.”
In his ruling after the voice vote had approved the invitation of Lawal and Onyeama, Saraki said that a number of senators, prior to the decision, had raised observation.
“I have received a lot of petitions in my office on this same matter. We must ensure that the process is transparent especially since they are going to be ambassadors and the number of petitions we have received this time is a bit more than usual.
“It is important that the foreign affairs committee quickly invite the minister and secretary to the government of the federation so that they can explain the processes of how some of these names came about.
“We need to do this before they even begin to consider the nomination for screening.” He, therefore, referred the matter to the foreign affairs committee and gave them one week to be able to come with a report on it.” [myad]
A Kano High Court on Wednesday sentenced the killer of a Kano-based business tycoon, philanthropist and Yoruba leader, Alhaji Ganiyu Akanbi Bello to death by hanging.
The accused, Abubakar Abdulrahaman (AKA Daddy 28) was found guilty on a charge of culpable homicide, punishable with death, while he was discharged and acquitted in another charge of armed robbery.
Abubakar was accused of murdering Alhaji Bello on June 5, 2014 in his residence on the night of the fateful day at the GRA Nassarawa, opposite Kano Race Course when he stabbed the deceased in the heart with a kitchen knife.
The prosecution led by Barrister M.M. Sulaiman of the State Ministry of Justice and assisted by the nominal complainant Counsel, J.I. Macaulay of Kehinde Olaitan Chamber called seven witnesses and tendered several exhibits.
The exhibits included, the knife used by Daddy to stab chief Bello and the Blackberry handset of the deceased, in which he inserted his own Sim card, compelling the court to indict him as part of circumstantial evidence.
Making his last plea (Alocutus) for the accused, his Counsel from the Legal Aid Council, Barrister Adama urged the court to temper justice with mercy because of his aged mother, wife and children.
In his final verdict, the trial judge, Justice Kabiru Auta said that the accused deserved no mercy, having committed a capital offence by murdering a bread winner like him.
Justice Auta said that the accused showed no remorse throughout the trial, just as he returned a verdict of hanging by the neck for the accused until pronounced dead.
Abubakar broke down in tears after the verdict while his mother collapsed in the open court.
The accused was one-time a staff of the deceased’s hotel.
Justice Auta ruled however that he has right of appeal within 30 days. [myad]
Nigeria’s largest telecom operator, MTN may lose about N16 billion in the coming days in music right infringement suit filed against it by the Copyright Society of Nigeria.
In a current development in the suit, COSON has filed a motion for final judgment in the watershed 16 Billion Naira copyright infringement action.
In a motion filed on June 20, 2016 at the Federal High Court, Lagos by a foremost Intellectual Property lawyer, Mr. Justin Ige, COSON has asked the court for an order for final judgment in favour of COSON for the liquidated sum as per claim (g) contained in the writ of summons and statement of claim, in default of pleadings by MTN.
COSON also asked for such further or other orders as the Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of the case.
In COSON’s 8 paragraph affidavit in support of the motion for judgment sworn to by one Jubilee Wakeel, Mr. Wakeel deposed to the facts that the suit was commenced by writ of summons on 9th May, 2016 and that MTN was served on 10th May, 2016 and that well over 30 days since MTN was served with all the processes in the suit, the Defendant had failed refused and/or neglected to take steps to file any pleadings in defense of the action.
Quoting copiously from the Federal High Court rules and a plethora of decided cases, Mr. Ige, lawyer to COSON in his written statement in support of the motion stated that as disclosed in the supporting affidavit to the application, no defense had been filed in the matter.
He said that the Plaintiff is convinced that the Defendant has no defence to the claim and all the averments in the Claim should be deemed undisputed by the defendant.
While urging the court to grant the motion in the interest of justice, Mr. Ige stated that COSON is seeking judgment for royalties which the Defendant hopes to hold on to, if possible, forever – during which time those persons whom the royalties ought to be distributed to will continue to suffer needlessly.
He stated that by granting the application, the court can put an end to the pain of the copyright owners without further delay.
It will be recalled that in the suit No. FHC/L/CS/619/2016,the biggest copyright law suit ever in the continent of Africa, there are 18 separate claims endorsed on the writ supported by a 43 paragraph Statement of Claim.
COSON has also asked the court for six different declarations of copyright infringement allegedly perpetrated by MTN in the MTN Friendship’, ‘Connect’ or ‘Walk In’ Centres across Nigeria; the MTN ‘Road Shows’ in Nigeria; the various MTN Music Concerts, Festivals, Award Shows, Product Activations and Corporate events; the MTN Callertunez platform; the MTN Music Plus platform and the MTN Mobile Radio.
Speaking recently on the determination of COSON to stamp out copyright infringement in Nigeria, COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji said: “at COSON, we are determined, committed and resolved to stamping out the era of “monkey dey work, baboon dey chop” from the Nigerian music industry and establishing a transparent and accountable industry in which everyone who invests his or her talent or resources can rest assured that his or her investment will be fully protected.
“We will not buckle under pressure from anyone, no matter how highly placed. We have sued a corporation owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria. We have gone to court against a State government.
“We have had to sue Nigeria’s biggest bank, wrestle in court with Nigeria’s biggest hotel and broadcast networks. At COSON, we verily believe that no one is above the law”.
The decomposing corpse of kidnapped Rev. Father John Adeyi was on Wednesday found in Otukpa, Benue State.
The deceased who was the vicar general of the Otukpo Catholic Diocese, was kidnapped by unknown gunmen about two months ago after which the sum of N2 Million was paid as ransom to the abductors.
But despite the payment of the ransom, the kidnappers still killed him and dumped his body in a nearby bush behind the Secretariat of the Otukpa, Ogbadibo Local Government Area.
Information had it that his body was found after police and villagers had searched around the various bushes in the area.
The Benue State Government was believed to have made an additional offer of N5 Million to anyone who could supply information on his whereabouts until his body was discovered. The Police Public Relations Officer for Benue State, ASP Moses Yamo, confirmed the story, saying that police would do everything possible to bring the perpetrators to book. [myad]
The Federal Ministry of Education has scheduled a meeting with vice-chancellors, admission officers and other stakeholders to discuss the processes for the post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination against the background of the recent directive by the minister of education, Adamu Adamu. Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, who made this known while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja, said the meeting would hold next week. Yemi-Esan said the minister had made a pronouncement which should be complied with. “The responsibility is now on us to give them guidelines and modalities on how to go about what the honourable minister has said. “There is no written directive but all the stakeholders were at that meeting where the minster said it openly. “There is going to be a meeting of the all the vice-chancellors and admission officers sometime next week to work our modalities.” However, an academic, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told NAN that scrapping post-UTME could not be done by mere comment at an event. He said he expected the minister to issue a circular on the issue to the universities through the National Universities Commission. Meanwhile, various universities have been sending out notices via the media for the test, even as some stakeholders believe that the Federal Government has scrapped exercise. NAN. [myad]
A consolidated group of militants, Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF) has alerted Nigeria of the plan by some senior military officers to overthrow the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in a coup d’état.
The militant group, which was behind threats of missile launch that created panic in the Niger Delta region, said that the persons behind the coup plot are planning to instigate civil unrest as part of their strategies to actualize the scheme.
The group in an electronic statement said that already the top military officers involved in the scheme approached its leaders with an appeal to continue with the ongoing attacks on oil installation.
It claimed that the “coup plotters” said they wanted to use sustained attacks on oil facilities as a genuine reason to take over the government.
The statement was signed by persons who identified themselves as ‘General’ Torunanaowei Latei (Creek Network Coordinator); ‘General’ Agbakakuro Owei-Tauro (Pipeline Bleeding Expert); ‘General’ Akotebe Darikoro (Commander, General Duties) and ‘General’ Pulokiri Ebikade (Intelligence Bureau).
The group said: “We are constraint to let the cat out of the bag today that PresidentMohammadu Buhari should be wary about the security of this country as some military men are making move to remove him from power by instigating civil unrest in the country.
“Some top military men through their civil agents approached us to cause and continue the vandalization of the oil and gas pipelines in the Niger delta region so as to use as an excuse to take over the government from democracy to military rule in the country.
“We said no as such plan will not work and not in conformity with our genuine desire of agitation. The military want to disgrace him now and let him quickly look into the issues and make pronouncement for his administration to be in peace.
“Let president should analyze certain memo from the military concerning Niger delta region before taking action or otherwise the military will use that as a platform to remove him. We know the issue of Niger delta is political and we preferred
political solution to resolve it but if the president refused.”
The group further advised the President to adopt holistic approach in resolving the problems of the Niger Delta.
It named the ongoing corruption probes in the military as one of the reasons why like minds had gathered to plot the removal of the President adding that most officers behind the scheme were above the ranks of major-generals.
“We received several calls unknown to persuade us to continue the bombing and that when succeeded in overthrowing the government we will be placed on a better position, we said capital NO!
“When asked of their names they are above Major General’s level. They refused to disclose their names but their intonations seem like yoruba and Hausa. Our agitation is not for selfish interest but for the overall benefit of the Niger delta region.
“We’ll not kidnap any person, kill or hostage taking of any expatriate in the country but will continue our agitation with clear determination to actualize our course in Nigeria.
“We believe their sinister plan because there is ceasefire in the region for dialogue, but since then the attitude and actions of the service chiefs show that such plan could work for them”, it said.
The group also accused the military of invading Ijaw communities in the Niger Delta, harassing, chiefs and women during the period of ceasefire.
It asked the President to quickly implement their demands which it listed as immediate release of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) and Dr. Nnamdi Kanu.
Others are directing the EFCC to defreeze the bank accounts of ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, a.k.a. Tompolo; resuming the academic sessions of the only Nigerian Maritime University sited in Okerenkoko and immediate implementation of the report of the 2014 National Conference report.
They asked the President to clean up all the oil-polluted land in the region and to remove Brigadier General Paul Boroh (rtd.) as an Amnesty Coordinator.
According to them, Boroh should be replacing with Dr. Felix Tuodolo who it said had been in the struggle of non-violence since 1980 and the designer.
It said: “Why all these attacks on oil and gas pipelines in the region is that the Pharaoh of Nigeria (Buhari) made a childish statement that, he will develop those areas that gave him 95% votes during his presidential election last year.
“We the Niger Delta people only gave him 5% hence we vowed that our oil money will not be used for the development of any other region. The President should change his mind set towards the region, if not this will continue.” [myad]
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