President Muhammadu Buhari has made it clear that nobody can divide Nigeria after fighting civil to keep it united.
He assured that his administration would ensure the continuous existence of Nigeria as a single entity united in the pursuit of common destiny.
The President, who spoke today, Monday at the Palace of the Emir of Katsina as he began a two-day official visit to the state said that the nation was embroiled in a civil war leading to colossal loss of lives and properties in the bid to ensure its unity.
“I always say the civil war was fought for the unity of Nigeria because then we don’t even discover oil let alone enjoying it. But two million people were killed.
“Recently, some people who were not even born during the civil war are saying they want to divide Nigeria.”
The President who admitted that he knows the difficulties Nigerians are passing through said that his government is doing everything possible to change the fortunes of the nation.
He advised Nigerians to go and engage in farming “while those who don’t have land (to farm) should learn trade.” [myad]
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has remanded the former spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization, Femi Fani Kayode in its custody in Abuja.
Fani-Kayode presented himself at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja today, Monday, after uniformed agents stormed his home Abuja at the weekend.
During today’s interrogation, Fani-Kayode learned that the EFCC actually has three cases of financial crime against him.
“He will be in our custody for a few more days because we have multiple fraud charges against him,” the confidential source disclosed to our reporter.
The EFCC source said: “he (Fani Kayode) now knows that he is in big trouble and that investigators have gathered a lot of evidence against him.”
Fani Kayode, who was also the nation’s former aviation minister is being investigated on N840 million he allegedly received from then President Goodluck Jonathan a few days before the 2015 presidential election.
It was learnt that Fani-Kayode received a total of over N1.7 billion from different sources during his stint as campaign director for ex-President Jonathan. [myad]
The General Overseer of the Divine Hand Prophetic Ministry, Prophet (Dr) Emmanuel Omale has predicted that frontline Presidential nominee of the Republican party, Donald Trump will emerge the party’s flag bearer and go on to win the 2016 US presidential election but that he has been sent by devil to come and cause war.
Christians launch serious prayers, Donald Trump will emerge winner because he is coming from the devil to bring war, and will force everyone to use the “666” mark.
Prophet Omale who spoke during ministration at Deliverance Service held at the Divine Hand Prophetic Ministry’s church auditorium in Abuja said: “I see confusion all over the world. I see Donald Trump, we need to pray. I see him winning the election, and he won and there was war everywhere and we are being forced to start using 666 number. There was war everywhere. We need to pray.
“If we don’t pray I saw him winning because it is devil that is bringing him to bring war to the whole world. We shall not see war, we shall not see war!
Prophet Emmanuel Omale also raised concern over fightings in some states in Nigeria.
“I saw fire everywhere, this state fire, I see fire burning and I see blood coming out, we need to pray against fight, Kaduna fight, Jos fight, Nassarawa, I see fight, Niger-Delta, I see burning, I see many things but the good thing I see, I see promotion for you!.” [myad]
The Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha has said that after President Muhammadu Buhari must have completed his two-term in office, it will be his turn to present himself to run for the President of this country. He added that he will not contest the 2019 presidential election because of his belief in President Buhari’s ability and commitment to lead Nigeria out of the woods The Governor, who spoke in an interactive session with news men in Owerri, the state capital, said he would go back to the trenches after eight years of the Buhari administration, adding that he will not run for President as an Igbo man, but as a Nigerian who is accepted as a detribalized man all over the country. Okorocha who said that Buhari has so far shown leadership and should be encouraged by all Nigerians, said: “the only reason on earth I would not contest the presidency in 2019 is because of President Muhammadu Buhari. I believe that President Buhari was called up at a time like this to clean up the mess in the society. “I have been running for the presidency of this great nation until God said I should settle for the Imo governorship. And that passion to become the president of the country is not just borne out of the thirst for the position, but had arisen out of the eagerness to offer the nation and her people a strong leadership; the essence would be to build a nation of our collective dreams and aspirations. “President Buhari came in almost one year now and within the one year, Nigeria has once again got the doors of the rest of the world opened for her. He has shown courage, confidence, maturity and strong leadership. There is now high feeling of leadership in the country. “I am not even judging President Buhari in terms of achievements or general administration, but he is cleaning up the mess of the past administration and to lay a new foundation upon which subsequent administrations of Nigeria would depend upon. “Anybody judging Buhari from the other side is not being fair to him. That is why I am supporting him and that is why I am with him. After President Buhari, I would be back to the trenches. When I will run for the president, I will not run for it as an Igbo man, but as a Nigerian. I am one Nigerian that is accepted all over this country and I am proud to say so. I am an Igbo man but I was born in the North and my empowerment and wealth came from the West. I cannot afford to be a tribalist. No, I am a complete detribalised man. “I believe in one enclave called Nigeria and that is my mindset. We must bend down and lay a solid foundation for Nigeria once and for all without sentiments.” [myad]
One of the sons of the late Biafra warlord; Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Mr. Debe Odumegwu Ojukwu, has described the Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), as misguided violent. Debe was recently quoted to have said in an interview that “We own IPOB. IPOB belongs to us. We formed IPOB. IPOB is not a group. IPOB means Indigenous People of Biafra, of which every Biafran is a member. So it is wrong for one person to arrogate to himself who is IPOB, and who is not. What happened was that most of them were misinformed. If you are agitating, you don’t block the roads. You must give unimpeded access for free flow of the economy. It is when you start stalling the economy that you incur the wrath of the security agencies.” The Kanu’s IPOB reacted today, Monday by saying: “read with horror and utter disgust, the garbage vomited by one Sylvester Ude who goes by the name Debe Ojukwu, stressing that it is constrained to dismantling and deconstructing the lies spewed out by the man.” In a statement titled: ‘deconstructing Sylvester a.k.a Debe Ojukwu on his lies and contradictions_ part-1, signed by its spokespersons Mr. Emma Nmezu, a lawyer and Dr. Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya said “it is worthy to note that the Ojukwu Family of Umudim-Nnewi, Biafraland, have since disassociated themselves from this Sylvester Ude a.k.a. Debe Ojukwu, an impostor. “Sylvester Ude a.k.a. Debe Ojukwu was said to have started the interview by insinuating that IPOB under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a violent movement when he said the following: “There are many Biafra agitators of which I am one. I am one, but I subscribe to the legal and diplomatic agitation; not the violent agitation. “Even though we do not want to go into what makes Sylvester Ude a.k.a. Debe Ojukwu to claim that he is a Biafran agitator when he is a card-carrying member of Nigeria’s APC party but we would like to request Sylvester Ude a.k.a. Debe Ojukwu to provide a single evidence to show that we are violent. “Is Sylvester Ude a.k.a. Debe Ojukwu aware that utterances such as these can land him in jail via a class-action lawsuit? Does this man, know that we have been mowed down by agents of the present government for simply gathering and praying in a school football field?” Kanu’s IPOB alleged that to show how disorganized the man’s brain is, he made the following contradictory statements: “We own IPOB. IPOB belongs to us. We formed IPOB. IPOB is not a group. Our group has succeeded in being given observer status at the UN and AU.” Now the question is, who are the “we” that formed and owned IPOB? And which of the last two sentences are correct; that IPOB is not a group or that IPOB is “our group? “In addition, we challenge this Sylvester Ude to provide any document that supports the claim that IPOB have been given observer status at the UN and AU. It is one thing to make a claim but it is another thing to support or substantiate such claim with documents or evidence.” [myad]
Former Nigeria’s minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Bashir Wali has described his interrogation by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) as the most embarrassing part of his life. In a telephone chat with Greenbarge Reporters today, Monday, Ambassador Wali expressed surprise that campaign funds which are universally regarded as part of the democratic practice, are being questioned in Nigeria. He said however that there was no way he would have asked those who released the fund to him to execute the Presidential campaign in Kano state where the fund came from, especially, when the Jonathan Presidency made the world to know that various organizations and individuals, including Fulani’s Miyetti Allah and a youth corper donated billions of naira to the Presidential campaign fund.
President Jonathan’s re-election campaign fund which was launched in December 2014 ahead of the 2015 Presidential election netted a staggering N21.27 billion with the chairman of the launching, Mr. Tunde Ayeni giving out N2 Billion even as players in the Oil and Gas sector announced a donation of N5 billion; those in Real Estate and Building donated N4 billion; Transport and Aviation, N1 billion; Food and Agriculture, N500 million; Power, N500 million; Construction, N310 million; Road Construction, N250 million; National Automative Association, N450 million; and Shelter Development Limited, N250 million.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain, Professor Jerry Gana announced the donation, on behalf of himself and his friends and associates in the power sector of N5 billion even as the PDP Governors Forum announced a total donation of N1.05 billion while each 21 of the PDP governors donated N50 million. The SIFAX Group announced N100 million donation, while PDP stakeholders in Rivers State supported Jonathan’s bid with N50 million. The 15 states on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission donated a total of N15 million, among other donations. Several private individuals also gave donations.
Ambassador Aminu Wali said that he had served this country for over 30 years, including as Presidential liaison officer at the National Assembly, as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, as Ambassador to China among others, but that he had never been found to be involved in any shady financial transactions. “I pride myself as a strong fighter against corruption, especially financial crime,” the former Minister said. Ambassador Aminu Wali had earlier spoken on a local radio programme monitored in Kano, where he admitted receiving N950 million campaign funds as the head of a seven-man committee for the Presidential campaign in Kano State. He said that he disbursed the funds to all the campaign stakeholders, up to the ward level, for the purpose such funds were meant. The former minister said however that after explaining his role on the disbursement of the funds to the EFCC, he was allowed to take his leave. [myad]
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide has condemned what they called “the unwholesome activities of a new militant group in the Niger Delta, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).” They asked President Muhammadu Buhari to fish out the real troublemakers and spare innocent persons and communities in the region. The IYC spokesman, Mr. Eric Omare who spoke to news men today, Monday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital, stressed that there was no justification for NBA to embark on destruction of oil facilities and pollution of the region’s environment. The group who commended the efforts of the Buhari government in unmasking the identities of the culprits, said that such move should only be targeted at the real militants. According to Omare: “We do not see the justification in the Niger Delta Avengers embarking on destruction of oil facilities because Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, denounced the group. “I think Tompolo did the proper thing by coming out to inform the entire world that he was not part of the NDA when there were insinuations to the effect that he was behind them. “As with other cases of attack on oil facilities, the Niger Delta environment and people are the ultimate victims and would suffer from these latest attacks. The IYC believes that irrespective of their grievances, there are better ways of expressing them rather than contributing to the further destruction of the already massively degraded Niger Delta environment. “The security agencies should go after the real culprits and not innocent communities and people in the region. From our experience, the security personnel in a bid to impress their superiors and justify the huge amount of money budgeted for the purpose, always attack innocent communities and people. “This must not be allowed to happen this time around. We would also advise the Federal Government to be prompt in directing security agencies to deal with insurgent groups all over the country including the Fulani herdsmen who have been killing innocent Nigerians just like they have just directed in respect of the Niger Delta Avengers.” It would be recalled that the emergent militant group has claimed responsibility for the recent attacks on the SPDC platform at Forcados, the Chevron Okan platform at Abiteye in Escravos, and the pipelines transporting crude oil to the Warri and the Kaduna refineries. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has described former Head of the Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan as an accomplished administrator, astute businessman and patriot. In a birthday message issued by the senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu expressed the President’s heartily felicitation to the “elder statesman.” “President Buhari commends his immense contribution to national peace and development which he has exemplified as an accomplished administrator, astute businessman and patriot. “The President believes that the historic role played by the octogenarian in forging and maintaining the unity of Nigeria will continue to endear him to many. He assured that his administration would continue look forward to his fatherly counsel and advice on how to move the nation forward.” President Buhari prayed to God to grant Chief Shonekan more years of good health and happiness “to see the Nigeria of our dreams.” [myad]
The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has announced the setting up of a committee to rehabilitate the facilities at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camp in Kubwa, a suburb of the capital city. He asked the committee, headed by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye to immediately visit the Camp at Kubwa and ensure that the Hostels, toilets, medical centre and the entire surroundings are rehabilitated in order to make the Corps members more comfortable in the camp. The Minister who spoke when he received the Chairman and members of the House of Representatives Committee on Youth Development in his office in Abuja, gave assurance that as soon as the present batch of NYSC members are through with the orientation exercise, FCT officials will move in fully to identify more areas that need attention in order to give the camp a befitting outlook. He said that on the long run, the administration would get a new site for the development of a permanent NYSC orientation camp in the territory. Muda Bello emphasized that as part of efforts to empower youths in the territory, the administration is working on a plan to develop and equip Vocational centres in the territory that will train the youths in various vocational skills to make them self reliant and useful to the society, promising that one of such centres would be established at the NYSC camp. He disclosed that there are presently over two thousand NYSC members serving in the Federal Capital Territory Administration, adding that the Administration is always the last resort for most Youth Corps members who for one reason or the other were rejected by other Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies. “It has always been the policy of this Administration to accept NYSC members who may be in distress after being rejected by other organisations; we welcome them and that are how it has been. “Even last week when we observed that the number was so enormous, we encouraged them to join our environmental sanitation advocacy team in line with our Cleaning and Greening policy particularly at the Area Councils which they willingly accepted and we were able to absorb another four hundred Corps members.” Musa Bello said that the idea of engaging the Youth Corps members into the Clean and Green initiative is to promote a re-orientation of our people towards making them own the cleaning and sanitation initiative so that in the end we get a very beautiful city that all of us will be proud of. Earlier, the Chairman of the House Committee on Youth Development, Hon. Segun Adekola said the committee undertook a tour of the NYSC orientation camp at Kubwa as part of their oversight activities. He said the committee observed that many of the facilities at the camp are overstretched due to the large number of Corps members in the camp and therefore appealed to the Minister to urgently intervene to save the situation. He assured the minister that the Committee would partner with the FCT administration in all efforts being made to improve the well being of the NYSC members and the youths in the territory. [myad]
Four people have been confirmed dead in the North-bound train accident which occurred in Jebba, Kwara state Nigeria yesterday, Saturday.
The assistant director in charge of the publicity for the Railway Corporation (NRC), Rauf Akinloye, told news men today, Sunday that three other passengers sustained injuries in the accident.
He said that the corpses of the deceased have been deposited at the mortuary while those injured ones have been discharged after receiving treatment.
The NRC spokesman said the damaged tracks were being repaired in order to restore North-South services, adding that the rear portion of the train that derailed lead to the death of the four persons.
Akinloye, however, assured travelers of safety of life and properties while travelling on the trains in spite of the incident.
Already, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara has commiserated with the families of the deceased.
The governor, in a condolence message issued in Ilorin on Sunday by his Chief Press Secretary, Abdulwahab Oba, wished the passengers who sustained injuries speedy recovery.
He described the accident as painful and unfortunate, pointing out that rail transportation was still one of the safest means of travelling.
Ahmed called on the management of the corporation to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the accident with a view to preventing a recurrence.
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President Muhammadu Buhari has made it clear that nobody can divide Nigeria after fighting civil to keep it united.
