The Nigerian Airforce has made it clear that the crash of its F7-Ni fighter aircraft which crashed in Yola yesterday killing the pilot was not as a result of attack by Boko Haram insurgents.
A statement detailing the development signed by Air Commodore Dele Alonge, Director, Airforce Public Relations attributed the crash to bad weather and not enemy attack, saying that already, the Chief of Air staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar has instituted an investigation panel to unravel the remote and immediate cause of the crash.
“A Nigerian Air Force (NAF801) F7-Ni fighter jet returning to the base from an interdicted mission crashed due to bad weather and not under enemy fire around Hong, Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State at about 16.23hrs (4.23 pm).
“There was no survival as the pilot of the aircraft lost his life in the unfortunate incident”.
“Meanwhile, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal SB Abubakar has set up an investigation panel to unravel the remote and immediate causers) of the accident. Further details will be communicated to the media in due course.”
The Air Force fighter jet which was returning from a mission to its base in Yola, capital of northeast Adamawa state, crashed yesterday, killing its pilot.
The jet “returning to the base from an interdicted mission crashed due to bad weather and not under enemy fire around Hong, Adamawa State at about 1623hrs (1523 GMT). There was no survival as the pilot of the aircraft lost his life in the unfortunate incident,” the statement said.
The statement neither said how many passengers were aboard the jet nor its precise mission in Adamawa, one of the three states in the region where Boko Haram militants have launched deadly attacks that have killed hundreds over its six-year insurgency. [myad]
Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa has described the death of Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the first civilian governor of the state as a personal loss to him, the government and people of the state even as All Progressives Congress (APC) sent a condolence message to the family and friends of the late former Bayelsa State Governor.
Alamieyeseigha died yesterday, Saturday evening at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, where he was receiving medical care.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the Bayelsa governor said that Alamieyeseigha was a strong supporter of his administration, saying that his death was a very painful and monumental loss to the entire Ijaw nation, which he had always defended.
The Bayelsa governor also commiserated with the deceased’s wife, Margaret, his immediate family, and the entire people of the state, noting that the Ijaws had lost a “rare gem.”
Also in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, APC also condoled with the Bayelsa State Government, saying that it received the news of the former Governor’s demise with great shock, considering that he was not publicly reported to have been gravely ill.
APC prayed that the family would find comfort in their moment of sadness, as well as the strength to bear the loss of their loved one. [myad]
Osun state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has looked back at what he called ‘financial tsunami’ that swept through Nigeria, leading to the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan borrowing as much as N476 Billion just to be able to pay workers salaries. Governor Aregbesola spoke today when he inaugurated a 17-member committee, heade by veteran Labour Leader and one time Secretary General of the Organisation of African Trade Unions (OATU), Comrade Hassan Sunmonu to oversee allocation of state’s revenue to prompt payment of salaries as well as adequate running of government Governor Aregbesola recalled that the financial tsunami that began from July 2013, ravaged the entire country, crippled the finances of states and the Federal Government, making payment of salaries very difficult. “What many do not realise was that the governmental system of the whole country was under mortal threat, and not only Osun. “It might interest us to know that the government of Goodluck Jonathan, according to his Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had to borrow N476 billion from commercial banks to be able to pay salaries in the last four months of the administration. “Thank God for His mercies. If God had not heard our prayers and came to our rescue with the election of President Muhammadu Buhari, the entire Nigerian government at all levels was dangerously racing towards bankruptcy.” The governor noted that all warnings to the realities of the Nigerian economy were ignored and that those who should know also cried out but were ignored. “This should not surprise anyone. The then governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (now the Emir of Kano) Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, had alleged that over $40 billion oil sales was not remitted into the Federation Accounts. “That was when oil was selling for over $100 per barrel. This tragedy was compounded with the eventual fall in oil price to circa $40. We now know where the money went.” Aregbesola stressed that the present situation of government calls for toughness, saying his administration will critically look at the next 24 months to take the state through the stormy weather. Inaugurating the committee the Committee at the Governor’s Office, the governor said that it is expected to apportion, in a transparent manner, all funds accruing to the State government to take care of salaries, pensions and other critical expenditure of government. Aregbesola said that the birth of a committee was long overdue having suggested the idea in the wake of the clamour for minimum wage which pitched workers against their state governments. He called on workers to be prepared for a more efficient service rendering period by changing their attitude from seeing government job as social security but a profitable venture. “We must be business-minded. The positive impact of every agency of government must be felt in its own area of assignment and responsibility. “In education, your products must be found to be worthy in learning and character. In healthcare, your work must be reflected in a healthy citizenry. In agriculture, it must be in indisputable food security and banishment of hunger. “There must be real works to show for public works. The time has come for us to start measuring performance. We must also do away with a bloated workforce, eliminate laziness and redundancy, block all avenues for embezzlement and leakages and make government work.” The governor admonished people of the state on the need to pay tax so that government will be able to pay salaries, run government and develop the state. He said that the allocation received from Abuja should be a legacy fund tied to specific legacy projects that would make life better for the people and not funds to be expended anyhow. Comrade Hassan Sunmonu who was a former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in his remarks, attributed the financial crisis to fate, saying when things happened the way it has happened to Osun and Nigeria, it only demonstrated that a divine being is directing the affairs of men. He thanked the governor for setting up the labour/government committee as it will assist the two parties in working harmoniously to find a lasting solution to the salaries hiccups. Comrade Sunmonu said that the welfare of workers and the people of the state was the major objective of setting up the committee, adding that the committee will work tirelessly to make sure everything is done successfully. “When things happen the way it has happened in Nigeria and our state, it shows us that there is a divine being that is directing human affairs. “Welfare of the people is the major objective why this committee is set up. We are not perfect; we dont have all the answers to the problems but we pledge, God helps us, that we will do the work to the best of our ability without any rancour. “We will not ask anybody to use basket to fetch water in a drum. We need to block all the leakages for the revenue accruing to the state to increase significantly.We must swim together to make this state work, to make an exemplar of progress, harmony, growth and development. “So, we must indeed thank the governor for setting up this committee to assist all of us in finding lasting solution to the financial challenges facing the state.” The 17-man Committee is made up of representatives of the government and workers. Members of the Committee are; Osun NLC Chairman, Comrade Jacob Adekomi, Chairman, Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) Comrade Bayo Adejumo, Osun’s Nigerian Union Teachers Chairman, Comrade Wakeel Amuda, Comrade Rufus Adeyemi, Comrade Mrs. Oluwatoyin Idowu, Comrade Afolabi, Comrade Gbenga Oyebode and Comrade Akeem Ibrahim. Others are; Chief of staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, former Group Managing Director of Oodua Investment, Mr. Bayo Jimoh, former Commissioner for Information, Mr. Sunday Akere, Managing Director, Osun Investment Company, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of Finance, Local Government and Chieftaincy titles and that of Human Resources and Capacity Building. [myad]
Nigeria Presidency is obviously angry with and has sent curses after two or three newspapers in the country that have been trying to create frictions between it and the national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Presidency which debunked insinuations by the said newspapers that Asiwaju Tinubu is under security watch over alleged plot against President Muhammadu Buhari said that such reports would lead the newspapers into hell.
A statement by senior special assistant to President Buhari on media and publicity, Malam Garba Shehu today called on Nigerians to ignore what he described as sensational story because it is false and baseless. “We wish to confirm without any equivocation that the Asiwaju is not of any particular interest to any arm of the security services. The relationship between him and the President cannot be better than it is at the moment.” He regretted that the newspapers in their perverted logic linked Asiwaju to a plot against the leader of the country, saying that the presidency is unaware of any such plots against the President. “I got on the phone a short while ago with General Babagana Munguno, (Rtd), the National Security Adviser and the Director General of the SSS, Lawal Daura who both dismissed the published reports as acts of pure mischief. They are not aware of the Asiwaju being on any kind of watch. “It would appear that a competition is on between two or three newspaper establishments on how best to breach the excellent relationship between the pillars of our party and government. So far, they have not made headway and there is no indication that they will succeed in the future. It suffices to say that such reports, written without fairness and balance can only take away from whatever is left of the credibility of these newspapers. The general public is hereby advised to ignore them on these reports.” [myad]
Former Gov. of Bayelsa state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha
The controversial former governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha is dead. His death was announced this evening after he was said to have slipped into a coma since Thursday and placed on life support. The former governor was said to have died at the age of 63 after a sudden cardiac arrest at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Alamieyeseigha was born on 16 November 1952 in Amassoma, Ogboin North Local Government area in Bayelsa state. He attended the Bishop Dimeari Grammar School, Yenegoa. He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy as a Cadet Officer in 1974, then joined the Nigerian Air Force, where he served in the department of Logistics and Supply. He held various air force positions in Makurdi, Lagos and Enugu. Alamieyeseigha retired from the air force in 1992 as a Squadron Leader. After leaving the air force, he became the Sole Administrator of Pabod Supplies Port Harcourt. Later he became Head of Budget, Planning, Research and Development of the National Fertiliser Company (NAFCON). Alamieyeseigha was elected Governor of Bayelsa State in May 1999 as a member of the then ruling (PDP). He was re-elected in 2003. He was impeached on allegations of corruption on 9 December 2005. Alamieyeseigha was detained in London on charges of money laundering in September 2005. At the time of his arrest, Metropolitan police found about £1 million in cash in his London home. Later they found a total of £1.8 million ($3.2 million) in cash and bank accounts. He jumped bail in December 2005 from the United Kingdom. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the UK has reopened the case before his sudden death today. [myad]
A group of Igbo people, going by the name: Coalition of Eastern Nigeria Political Pressure Groups (CENPPG) has described the recent arrest and trial of the Nigeria’s former Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Dieziani Allison-Madueke, in London as a calculated witch-hunt and vendetta intended to humiliate her over her principled stand to indigenize the oil industry. The group, in a statement in Owerri at the weekend, condemned what it termed: “a clear case of witch-hunt against the former minister by those who felt she did not favour them while in office.” The statement which was signed by the Chancellor of CENPPG, Nze Elvis Agukwe, accused the federal government of grandstanding and intimidation of persons perceived to have been the back-bone of the former administration “with a pre-determined view to demonize them. “What Nigerians demand is transparency in the gamut of the war against not only economic corruption but also political corruption.” Agukwe said that since the arrest of Allison-Madueke, those he called “hired writers and sundry groups” have been procured to demonize her even when she had not been found guilty of any crime whatsoever. The CENPPG boss who is a former Commissioner for Information in Imo State, said that the arrest of the former Minister was politically motivated and called on the federal government to come clean on its complicity in the entire saga. “If the government is sincere in fighting corruption, why have they continued to ignore the Halliburton fraud scandal? What they are doing with Allison-Madueke is a road show meant to entertain their whims,” he argued. Agukwe regretted that some Nigerians are “celebrating the persecution of a woman who served her country well. It was under her tenure that the oil industry was opened up to Nigerians to benefit. That accounts for why she is being hounded by the powerful who used to benefit alone.” He said that he was surprised that Nigerian women were not coming out to defend one of their own even “when it is obvious that this is nothing but witch-hunt and injustice against Nigerian women.” [myad]
Nigeria Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has said that God revealed to him in 2013 that he would be Vice President of Nigeria even as he asked Christians to endaeavour to be righteous and continue to worship Jesus Christ. Osinbajo who spoke Friday night at the Pan African Gathering Conference for 2015 of House of Revival Church, Brakpan, South Africa said: “I was sitting here in 2013 when a prophecy was made that I will be vice president of Nigeria and I didn’t take it serious.” Osinbajo who stressed the importance of prophetic gatherings, said that God works in a miraculous way during such period. Osinbajo said that the prophecy about his becoming vice president of Nigeria had shown that God works in an incredible way, adding: “this prophetic gathering is very special indeed. One of the reasons why it is special is because it just shows you God works.” “God doesn’t look at size. He doesn’t look at anything fancy. He just does it in accordance with His grace and mercy.” Vice President Osinbajo said that the head of the church at the end of March 2015 predicted that there would be a mighty honour for him even as he prayed that God should bless the gathering and answer prayers of the congregants. Osinbajo, a pastor from South West region of Nigeria, was picked after the All Progressives Congress (APC) was accused of plotting to float a Muslim/Muslim ticket. President Muhammadu Buhari and some top chieftains in the party had before the presidential election said religion should not determine who gets what in the party. They were, however, forced to have a change of heart following nationwide criticism led by the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). [myad]
Two explosions at a peace rally in the Turkish capital, Ankara, have killed at least 86 people and injured 186, according to officials. The blasts took place near the city’s central train station as people gathered for a march organized by leftist groups. Turkey’s president condemned the attacks as “terrorist acts”. Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced what he called “this loathsome attack that targeted our unity and our togetherness.” Government officials are investigating reports that a suicide bomber was behind at least one of the explosions. The pro-Kurdish HDP party was among those attending the rally, which was demanding an end to the violence between the Kurdish separatist PKK militants and the Turkish government. The party said in a statement that it believes its members were the main target of the bombings. The leader of the HDP has blamed the state for the attack, which he called “a huge massacre” as it cancelled all election rallies. Turkey is holding a re-run of June’s inconclusive parliamentary elections on 1 November. Later on Saturday, the PKK called on its fighters to halt its guerrilla activities in Turkey unless attacked first. A statement from an umbrella group that includes the PKK said its forces would “not engage in any kind of activity apart from preserving its current position and make no attempts to hinder or harm the exercise of a fair and equal election.” The HDP was among those joining Saturday’s rally for “peace and democracy,” called for by the confederation of trades unions, which was due to start at 12:00 local time. The two explosions happened shortly after 10:00 as crowds gathered ahead of the rally. Amateur video footage showed a group of young people holding hands and singing, before the first blast. [myad]
National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National publicity secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed has made it clear that no one can deny him the fact that he is an indigene of Kwara state. Mohammed, who is one of the ministerial nominee, representing Kwara state said that since nobody could deny him of being a citizen of the state, he reserved the right to stay in Lagos or any part of Nigeria. He insisted that he deserves the slot because he worked hard for the party even as he advised that all those kicking against his nomination should leave the matter the way it is. According to Mohammed, no one or group of persons could successfully jeopardize his chances of becoming minister in the Muhammadu Buhari government. He said that he, along with members of his family registered in Oro, his hometown for the 2015 elections and that he contributed in no small means to the development of the party in his local government. Mohammed also recalled that he played a part in the election of the member of House of Representatives from his constituency in Kwara state. The APC spokesman admitted that he was not in Kwara state during the elections, but that his national assignment to the party during the period was more important than returning to Kwara to cast a single vote. Lai Mohammed said that the emergence of his son as a member of Lagos State House of Assembly was a political reward for his service to the people of the area he now represents. [myad]
The Kano State Government has said that it is ready to cooperate with any investigation agency in connection with the petition of an alleged N3.7 billion fraud. The state Commissioner of Information, Malam Mohammed Garba, who was reacting to the recent invitation extended to some officials of the state government by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) in Abuja over a petition on the alleged N3.7 billion fraud said that the state government is “ready to expose all its records to any agency investigating the issue. “As you know, there was a petition, which prompted the ICPC to invite some government officials for questioning. To the best of our knowledge, nobody was indicted or found wanting as far as this issue is concerned. “So, government is ready to expose all our records to any agency investigating the issue.” According to the commissioner, the former administration of Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso and the present administration of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje have been very open and transparent in all their dealings. He said that the state government would not make any further comment on the issue until after the ICPC completed its investigations. [myad]
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