MTN Fueled Boko Haram Insurgency, President Buhari Tells Visiting President Zuma

March 8, 2016

President Muhammadu Buhari has reported to President Jacob Zuma how the mobile phone giant with the root in South Africa, MTN fueled the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria by failing to disconnect unregistered Sim.

Buhari who spoke today at a joint press conference with President Zuma who is on a state visit to Nigeria, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, explained why the government of Nigeria had to fine MTN for an act adjudged to be against the security of the country.

Last year, Nigeria fined the South African-owned firm $3.4bn (£2.7bn) for missing a deadline to disconnect cards.Nigeria believes Boko Haram militants use unregistered sim cards to co-ordinate attacks.

President Buhari enlightened his host: “you know how the unregistered (sim cards) are being used by terrorists and between 2009 and today, at least 10,000 Nigerians were killed by Boko Haram.”

Buhari complained that while other mobile phone operators complied with a mid-2015 deadline to register all sim cards, “unfortunately, MTN was very very slow and contributed to the casualties.”

Nigeria’s President said MTN, which is in talks with Nigeria to reduce the fine further, could make gradual payments, out of the $3.4 billion, which was a reduction from the initial $5.2 billion fine on MTN in October.

Last month, MTN said it had dropped court action to challenge the fine, and had paid $250m as part of efforts to reach an “amicable settlement”.

MTN has 231 million subscribers in 22 countries across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. However, Nigeria is its biggest market.

In September, the company was named as most-admired brand in Africa in the Brand Africa 100 awards, beating Samsung, while it was also awarded the continent’s most valuable brand, worth $4.6bn.

MTN was South Africa’s second mobile operator when it was set up in 1994 after the end of apartheid.

It began its expansion across Africa four years later with operations in Rwanda, Uganda and Swaziland. [myad]

Senate Stumbles On N15 Billion Contract Scam In Niger Delta Dev. Commission

Greenbarge Reporters

March 8, 2016

The Senate Committee on Niger Delta has announced the discovery of N15 Billion that was paid out by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for projects that were nonexistence or not carried out in both Ondo and Bayelsa states.

The committee has therefore resolved to dig more into the financial transactions of the company from 2000 to date.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, said in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital that the commission paid out N3.9 billion for a non-existent project said to be ongoing in Ondo State.

The NDDC was said to have also doled out a whooping N10.8 billion for contracts in Bayelsa state that were never executed, and the contractors nowhere to be found.

Nwaoboshi’s committee which is currently on an inspection tour of NDDC projects in the Niger Delta region, as part of its oversight functions said they are determined to get to the bottom of the sleaze.

He lamented that a number of such deals were carried out between the NDDC and some fake contractors, in which several billions of naira were allocated and paid out to non-existent contractors for unidentifiable projects across states of the oil rich region.

He said that the commission had hid the projects and the amounts paid from the documents submitted before his committee during the 2016 budget defence, and that they uncovered the sleaze though private investigations.

He therefore called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest and prosecute those found culpable in the contract scam, and to ensure that all the monies running into several billions of naira allegedly stolen from the commission since inception are recovered.

Nwaoboshi, said there is a need to carry out a thorough and prompt probe of the NDDC since inception because it had embarked on “nasty projects” that were not useful to the people, even as he disclosed, that the committee had already engaged the services of consultants and external auditors, including chartered accountants to probe the accounts of the NDDC, beginning from 2000.

He further declared that the committee would launch an investigation into the multi-billion naira anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs purchased by the commission without subsequent distribution to the beneficiaries until they were found to have expired.

“A holistic investigation of the commission from 2000 will start soon. The question is, nobody is here to witch- hunt anybody. For the projects that are completed, we will give our recommendations and even recommend them for further jobs from the NDDC. I think we have only seen two completed jobs so far since we came here; all others are abandoned ones.” [myad]

What We Will Do With $321 Million Abacha Loot From Switzerland – Vice President Osinbajo

Greenbarge Reporters

March 8, 2016

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has announced that the Federal Government is now developing a framework on how to utilise the $321m stolen funds from Nigeria under the Abacha government which Swiss government has promised to repatriate soon.
Prof. Osinbajo said the framework once finalized will be made available publicly, and it would cover the whole spectrum from the source of the stolen asset to how it would be managed once recovered.
He said “the framework will guarantee that returned assets will be used in the interest of the people of this country.”
Vice President Osinbajo spoke today at the Presidential Villa, Abuja during a meeting with a Swiss delegation led by the country’s Federal Councillor and Head of its Foreign Affairs Department, Mr. Didier Burkhalter and the Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Eric Mayoruz.
Osinbajo added: “we guarantee that recovered assets would be put to uses for which they have been intended.”
The Vice President said the federal government appreciates the Swiss government for its efforts to repatriate Nigeria’s stolen assets, saying: “Swiss has always been at the forefront of returning stolen assets and ensuring that the people of Nigeria get the benefit.”
This was even as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami, signed an agreement described as a “Letter of Intent” between the Swiss government and the Nigerian government on the restitution of illegally-acquired assets forfeited in Switzerland.
Burkhalter signed the letter for the Swiss government.
Under the agreement, the Swiss government will award to Nigeria $321 million of funds illicitly acquired by the Abacha family, initially deposited in Luxembourg and confiscated by the Judiciary of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, pursuant to a Forfeiture order dated 11th December 2014. [myad]

Aregbesola Creates 31 Development Areas, 3 Councils, 2 Admin Offices In Osun

Greenbarge Reporters

March 8, 2016

The Governor of Osun state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has announced the creation of additional 31 Local Council development Areas, 3 area Councils and two administrative offices.
In a radio and television broadcast to the people of the state today, the governor promised to make ‎judicious use of the state’s revenues in such a way that increasing the number of councils will least constitute any financial burden.
This was even as he dissolved the management committees of the existing 30 Local Councils and Area Office and their Executive Secretaries, deputy executive secretaries, members, Special Advisers and other functionaries.
He said that the request for additional local councils by the people of the state after several legal procedures was sent to the state House of Assembly in form of an executive bill.
He explained that the House looked into the bill, set up a committee and subsequently, a referendum was held on February 19, 2015 in which the people of the state overwhelmingly gave a Yes vote on the bill.
“The House passed the bill creating 31 new Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), three Area Councils and two Administrative Offices, signed into law by the governor.”
Aregbesola said that he has put in place procedures that will cost less and safe money thus bringing rapid development to the people, adding that the primary responsibilities of the newly created councils are to bring development to the people, market management, revenue mobilisation and generation among many others instrumental to the yearnings of the people.
The Governor said that the state will be saving huge cost with the new system and that the same number of staff will still run all the councils and no new appointments will be made to existing ones.‎
‎He said that the local government system will be managed by Council Managers for three months who would be appointed and deployed by Local Government Service Commission from among the substantive grade level 14 officers in the local governments.
“Many would be wondering and asking: why create more councils at this special time of financial challenges? We have also given sufficient consideration to this. With this new parliamentary system, it will cost less to run the new councils and save a lot of money for the government than in the past.
“The primary responsibilities of our new local government system are sanitation, market management and revenue mobilisation and generation. This is consistent with local government administration worldwide.
“The beauty of this new system is its parliamentary nature, which requires the chairman and the vice chairman to be elected by the councillors from among their own ranks, thereby saving cost.”
The Governor said that the creation of additional local governments should not be seen as being alien in the sense that In advanced western democracies, the local government controls the police and provides many municipal services to the people.

“It is where the government is designed to be closest to the people. While you need to follow some protocols for reasons of security and tight schedule before having an audience with a minister, a state governor or the president, you can walk in on your local government chairman or other officials of council.
‎”Also, because the geographical space of the local government makes it the smallest unit of administration, it is easier to get things done at this level. The local government is also the ideal training ground for political leadership.” [myad]

I Will Not Joke With Matters Concerning Women, Buhari Assures Nigerian Women

Greenbarge Reporters

March 8, 2016

President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed not to joke with matters relating to women even as he directed the women affairs ministers to prepare a special needs of women for his government to do.
The President, who felicitated with all Nigerian women as they join the rest of the world in celebrating International Women’s Day today, reaffirms administration’s commitment to the promotion of women’s rights and the well-being of women in all geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
Buhari said that the theme of this year’s International Women’s day, “Pledge for Parity,” is consistent with the promise by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to remove all impediments to the realization of equality by Nigerian women and he assures them that his administration will continue to do all within its powers to fulfil that pledge.
President Buhari directed the ministry of women affairs to move quickly to identify critical issues militating against the well-being and progress of Nigerian women, with a view to rapidly devising adequate plans, programmes and strategies to address them.
He wished all Nigerian women a happy International Women’s Day. [myad]

FCT Administration Embarks On Road Rehabilitation In Abuja

Greenbarge Reporters

March 8, 2016

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced the immediate rehabilitation of some strategic roads within the City Centre as a way of ensuring smooth vehicular movement in and around the capital city.
Some of the roads under the first phase of the programme include the total rehabilitation of M20, the hitherto dilapidated road leading to the popular Utako Motor Park; rehabilitation of road shoulders along the Shehu Shagari Way in Maitama District and Ring Road I (Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway) respectively.
Others are the trimming of overgrown trees and beautification of ornamental flowers along the road leading to Defence House and IBB Way both in Maitama District, Abuja, and the provision of kerbs at the famous Unity Park close to Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Maitama, Abuja.
Speaking on his plans to ensure a clean and filth free city, FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello insisted that Abuja under his watch must be restored to its original clean and green concept.
The minister said that he has a mandate from President Muhammadu Buhari to restore Abuja to its original Master Plan in line with the vision of its founding fathers.
He, therefore, solicited for support and cooperation of residents, development partners and key stakeholders in the Abuja project to ensure that the city is kept clean at all times.
Conducting Newsmen round some of the on-going works in the city, Acting Coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Hajiya Safiya Umar said that the minister had ordered the Agency to ensure prompt evacuation of all refuse whether liquid, solid or construction waste.
The Coordinator, who observed that the Federal Capital City has become dirty prior to the coming of Muhammadu Bello, however attributed the uncleanliness to the problem of transition period.
She warned that after this massive cleaning exercise embarked upon by the Administration, anyone found dumping construction waste indiscriminately would be prosecuted accordingly.
The Coordinator said that even trucks used in the indiscriminate disposal of construction waste in unauthorized places would be confiscated if found.
Meanwhile, following the rehabilitation of the road leading to the Utako Motor Park, there was wild jubilation by motorists and commuters at the park who welcomed the development.
They commended the FCT Administration for fixing the dilapidated road, which has not been motorable for years. [myad]

Deputy Senate President Wants Constitutional Provision To Create More Political Space For Women

Greenbarge Reporters

March 8, 2016

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has called for a constitutional provision to create better space in the parliament, judiciary and the executive arms of government for Nigerian women.
Ekweremadu, who felicitated with Nigerian women as they mark international women Day today said that the constitutional provision would make women populate the governance of the country
The Deputy Senate President was contributing to a motion moved by Senator Oluremi Tinubu (All Progressives Congress, Lagos Central) on the International Women’s Day Celebration.
Ekweremadu regretted that the Eight Senate has fewer women than the Seventh Senate even as he paid glowing tributes to Nigerian women vis-a-vis their leading role in building the home and the society.
“Women have done so much in our lives. Without them, many of us would not have been where we are today. Our women are loving, caring and submissive.
“When God created man, He discovered that there was a gap in mankind and so He created the woman and since then, there has been a balance. The woman has been a great caregiver, has helped emotionally and has helped economically.
“The African woman in particular has been most caring, loving and has done so much in our lives. I therefore join in celebrating our women for their kindness; for what they have given us; for the security in our homes.
“In the last Senate we had more women than we have now and it is time for us to consider it in our constitution, a provision of proportional representation so that we can have special seats for our women in parliament, in government and also even in the judiciary, so that we will be able to ensure that at all times, like our counterparts in the Southern part of Africa, we have enough women in the governance of our country.” [myad]

Nigerian Universities Do Not Understand Their Missions, Governor Aregbesola Alleges

Greenbarge Reporters

March 8, 2016

The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has accused universities in Nigeria of operating contrary to their missions, one of which is for them to impact positively on the Nigerian society rather than just admitting students and awarding certificates at the end of their academic exercise.
The Governor who spoke today ‎at the fourth and fifth convocation ceremonies of University of Osun at its convocation arena, main campus, Osogbo insisted that university education should impact on the society which has been bedevilled with life threatening challenges of wars, hunger and diseases.
The governor who named the university auditorium after the former Governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, emphasised: “our universities are primarily suffering from the crisis of mission.
“While they may have beautifully crafted mission statement, in practice, they are giving the impression that their raison d’etre is to admit students and award certificates to them at the end of their studentship.
‎”How impactful on our society and governance have these institutions been? We are daily beset with life threatening challenges in wars, hunger, diseases that are defying medical solutions, homelessness and just anything imaginable. Of course, it could have been worse.
‎”Where there is no vision, the people perish, says the holy writ. Lack of mission consciousness inevitably leads them to in-fighting and other self-inflicted crises.
“It is therefore the case that apart from graduating students, another veritable product of Nigerian universities is jostling for power, influence and resources with factions as many as there are faculties and petitions as powerful and numerous as academic journals. Where there is no vision, the people perish, says the holy writ,” Aregbesola said.
‎The Governor blamed most Nigerian University for relying on grants and subventions, adding that no serious institution will think of surviving with subventions.
“Most universities are underfunded. They rely mostly on subventions from their proprietors. Yet, there is nowhere in the world where a good university lives only on subvention.
“One of the disingenuous ways to fill the gap is to charge exorbitant tuition fees. While tuition is universal, it is lazy and unimaginative to make this the basis for generating revenues to sustain a university.
“Universities must learn also to generate revenues through endowments and creative revenue yielding ideas in patents, copyrights and so on.”
The Acting Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Jelil Oguntola Alamu said that the University has been sustaining it’s reputation as an institution purposely established to promote academic excellence and sound moral education.
He said that the institution has continued to grow in leaps and bounds with the recent accreditation of six more programmes by the National University Commission, bringing the programmes the school is running to 32 mature academic programmes.
Professor Oguntola said that the university has become a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and had signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).
According to the Don, the school also excelled both nationally and internationally as students of the state, who participated in debating competition organised by African Regional Inter-University Debate Competition organised by UNESCO, came 3rd overall.
“Osun State University continues to sustain it’s reputation as an institution established to promote academic and moral standard.
“My greatest joy today is the relative peace and high level of academic excellence attained by the institution since I became the Acting Vice Chancellor about a year ago.
“Barring all odds, the University successfully completed 2014/2015 academic session promptly without any form of interruption in our academic calendar,” Prof Oguntola said. [myad]

‘Yellow,’ Alleged Abductor Of Ese Oruru, Charged To Court In Bayelsa

Greenbarge Reporters

March 8, 2016

Yunusa Dahiru, popularly known as Yellow, who alleged abducted a 14-year old Bayelsa girl, Ese Oruru, has been charged to court in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital.
Dahiru is facing a five-count charge at the Federal High Court, sitting in Yenagoa. The charges included abduction, illicit sex and unlawful carnal knowledge of Oruru among others.
He was alleged to have abducted Oruru and took her from her home in Bayelsa State to Kano State in August last year.
Oruru, who was also alleged to have been forcefully converted to Islam, is also believed to be pregnant for Dahiru. [myad]

Jonathan Is Man Of The Year In African Leadership Magazine Award

Greenbarge Reporters

March 8, 2016

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has emerged the African Leadership Magazine Person of the Year, 2015, ahead of many other high-profile nominees drawn from all over Africa.

The nominees includes Strive Masiyiwa, founder, Econet Wireless; Tony Elumulelu, Chairman of Heirs Holding; Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director, UN Women; Akinwunmi Adesina, President, African Development Bank; Koffi Anan, former UN Secretary General, and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Leader, All Progressives Congress.

The news was communicated to the former President in a letter signed by Cletus Wortoson, former Liberian Protem Senate president and chair, 2015 African Leadership Person of the Year Selection Committee.

He noted that the selection committee and the African Leadership Advisory Board placed a very high premium on Jonathan’s commitment towards deepening democracy on the continent.

“There is no one best suited at the moment than Your Excellency, to advise the continent’s leaders on the merits of good governance and enduring democracy,” the letter read.

“Your popular mantra of ‘one man one vote’ and ‘my ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian,’ is a message that must be preached loud and clear on the continent, hence our endorsement.

“In adopting you as our choice, we placed a very high premium on your commitment towards deepening democracy on the continent – a characteristic which is uncommon among most African leaders at the highest level today.

“Chief among the many factors we considered was your efforts towards promoting good governance in Africa-through the promotion of free and fair elections across the continent. Your recent assignment to Tanzania received accolades and international acclaim, because, you discharged the responsibility most creditably.” [myad]

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