The Burundian electoral commission has declared President Pierre Nkurunziza as winner of the country’s election to serve for the third term of five-year in office.
The result of the election, in that small east African nation was declared today amidst crisis following a that was reportedly vote marred by violence and a boycott by the opposition.
Pierre Claver Ndayicariye, head of the electoral commission, told reporters that President Nkurunziza had won 69.41 percent of the votes cast. Nkrunziza’s nearest rival, Agathon Rwasa, got 18.99 percent of the vote cast.
The vote took place yesterday despite calls by African leaders and Western powers for it to be delayed due to rising insecurity and the boycott by opposition candidates whose names remained on the ballot paper. [myad]
The United Nations’ High Representative for South Sudan, Alfa Oumar Konare, has raised an alarm before President Muhammadu Buhari over the deepening political crisis in South Sudan in spite of the past peace agreements. The UN representative, who paid a courtesy visit on President Buhari today at the Aso Presidential Villa, Abuja, expressed concern that the continuing political dispute in South Sudan could deteriorate further if left unresolved. According to him, the escalation of the crisis could also worsen the humanitarian crisis in the country with negative consequences for neighbouring countries. “What we have before us is a very complicated situation and I am concerned that unless the parties start implementing the various agreements for peace, the crisis will deepen,’’ he told President Buhari. Responding, President Buhari promised that Nigeria will continue to work in close collaboration with the African Union and the international community for the achievement of reconciliation and lasting peace in South Sudan. He advised the government of South Sudan and other political factions in the country to start implementing the various peace agreements reached under the auspices of the United Nations, the African Union and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development in Eastern Africa (IGAD) . The President stressed that compliance with the agreements by all parties to the dispute in South Sudan is an essential first step towards returning the country to the path of peace, stability and development. President Buhari also received the Coordinator of Nigeria’s Honorary International Investors Council, Baroness Lynda Chalker in audience, during which time he assured her that his administration will welcome useful suggestions from local and international entrepreneurs on ways of accelerating the pace of economic development in Nigeria. [myad]
The World Bank has announced the appointment of the immediate past Director General of the Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (NSEC), Ms. Arunma Oteh, as Vice President and Treasurer.
In a statement, the bank said: ”As VP and Treasurer, Arunma will manage and lead a large and diverse team responsible for managing more than $150 billion in assets.”
The statement said: “Ms. Oteh was selected to this position through an international competitive search”.
Her appointment is with effect from September 28, 2015, the bank said.
Full text of the statement from the bank reads thus:
Arunma Oteh, Vice President & Treasurer of the World Bank
Date: July 23, 2015 – 12:49
Arunma, a Nigerian national, was most recently the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria. Appointed to a five-year term by the President of Nigeria in 2010, she led the transformation of the country’s capital markets industry into a major global presence. She was a member of the Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and the Chairperson of the Africa Middle East Regional Committee of IOSCO.
Prior to joining the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Nigeria, Arunma was Group Vice President, Corporate Services, at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). In this role she oversaw a number of departments, including human resources, information and communications technology, and institutional procurement. From 2001 to 2006 she held the role of AfDB Group Treasurer, where she led AfDB’s fundraising and capital market activities across the world. Earlier roles at the AfDB, which she joined in 1992, included trading room management, investment portfolio coverage, and public sector lending. She also held other positions in capital markets and lending during the course of her career at the AfDB. Arunma began her career in 1985 at Centre Point, where she executed debt and equity offerings in the Nigerian capital markets.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Nigeria and her Masters of Business Administration from Harvard University.
As VP and Treasurer, Arunma will manage and lead a large and diverse team responsible for managing more than $150 billion in assets. Her top priorities will be to: (i) maintain the World Bank’s global reputation as a prudent and innovative borrower, investor and risk manager; (ii) manage an extensive client advisory, transaction and asset management business for the Bank; (iii) engage, in her capacity as one of the World Bank’s key representatives, with outside stakeholders including global private sector financial institutions, the financial media and the sovereign debt and reserve managers in client countries, as well as ratings agencies; and (iv) collaborate extensively with the Finance Partners throughout the WBG, including with IFC and MIGA, expanding shared approaches, in particular around innovative financing for development and for key new projects.
Ms. Oteh was selected to this position through an international competitive search. Her appointment is effective on September 28, 2015. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the regrets he expressed during one of his engagements in his recent official visit to the United States of America, about the impact of the application of the Leahy Law on Nigeria’s war against Boko Haram and terrorism should not be construed as an indictment of President Barack Obama and the United States. The President was reacting to what his special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina referred to in a statement today as “persisting claims in the local and international media that President Muhammadu Buhari has accused or indicted the United States Government of helping the terrorist group, Boko Haram” which he said “are untrue and widely off mark.” President Buhari acknowledged that President Obama and the United States have publicly and privately declared their preparedness to give his Administration the fullest possible support and assistance in the battle against Boko Haram. He described the report quoting him of having indicted Obama and the US as “an unfortunate misinterpretation and distortion of the President’s remarks at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) during his highly successful official visit to Washington DC.” The statement said that President Buhari made it abundantly clear in those remarks, copies of which were circulated to the media, that he was convinced that the United States could never support groups such as Boko Haram. “I know the American people cannot support any group engaged in these crimes,” the President said at the occasion, adding that within the context in which those remarks were made, President Buhari’s comments on the adverse effect of the Leahy Law on Nigeria’s efforts to contain Boko Haram’s atrocious acts of terrorism should only be taken as a passionate appeal for even greater understanding and support from a very powerful and long-standing ally. It made it clear that President Buhari has nothing but the highest possible regard for President Obama, the United States Government, the people of the United States, their laws and institutions. “The President had very successful and useful talks with President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, other high-ranking US government officials and members of United States Congress during his visit to Washington DC. “It is his expectation that those talks will lead to better mutual understanding and a further deepening of bilateral relations between Nigeria and the United States, especially in Nigeria’s current priority areas of defence and security cooperation.” [myad]
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has warned those who are pursuing online degrees programmes from foreign institutions and certificate courses from Maryam Abacha American University in Niger Republic to stop it as it would not accept such degrees and certificates for the means of seeking employment or doing other legitimate business in Nigeria.
The commission said that it has been inundated with enquiries from some Nigerian applicants, who have been offered admission into the university.
NUC’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Ibrahim Yakassai, who spoke to newsmen today in Abuja, against the backdrop of some foreign universities, which admitted students from Nigeria said: “we wish to restate that as the only quality assurance agency for universities in Nigeria, the NUC is maintaining its stand that degrees from Maryam Abacha University will not be accepted in Nigeria.”
The NUC, which also discredited all part-time cross boarder education in Nigeria, warned citizens against patronising online universities which offer academic programmes without physical contact with their students.
According to him, the Nigerian constitution has no backing neither does it recognise such degrees obtained online, saying that students look for cheap means of acquiring qualifications to avoid competition at home.
“Nigeria will not recognise online degrees. Online degrees are not accepted in Nigeria at the moment. The Nigerian constitution does not even give recognition to such degrees. Those who run out of Nigeria for study outside this country are those looking for cheaper degrees. It is either they cannot pass the examinations or they do not possess the minimum entry qualifications.”
The NUC criticised the entry qualifications being used by Maryam Abacha American University, saying they were poor.
Yakassai said that concerned students were offered admissions on part-time basis with a graduation time of four semesters for programmes including Nursing, Medical Laboratory Sciences and Public Health.
“In Nigeria, the duration for a full time degree programme is not less than three years for direct entry and at least, six years for part-time, while professional programmes in Sciences, Engineering and Health Sciences, including Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science and Public Health are not offered on part-time basis in Nigeria.” [myad]
National Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh has supported the move by President Muhammadu Buhari to bring corrupt political leaders to book but that such exercise should not be selective.
“We expect the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government not to embark on selective probing of public office holders found wanting before or during his government,” he said.
Metuh spoke today at the State Congress of PDP in Lokoja where he advised the PDP members in the state to ensure that they were free of corruption in their dealings.
“If your hands are clean, you will not be afraid of any probe,” he said.
The publicity scribe described corruption as a crime against the common will of Nigerians, saying: “corruption is a crime against the people, the nation and our Constitution,” he said.
He said every legitimate means should be deployed to fight public corruption and that the approach to eradicating corruption in Nigeria must be just.
The PDP spokesman urged the would-be-delegates in the state’s congress to elect those that would pilot the affairs of the party for the next four years.
Idris Wada of Kogi, said the congress provided members the opportunity to change the history of the party in the state for the better.
“I urge delegates to choose wisely,” the governor said.
Wada urged members to support the candidates that would make up the state’s executive council from the congress.
“Support any candidate that wins at the end of the congress. What we are doing here today will change the history of the PDP in our state,” he said. [myad]
Former militant leaders in the Niger Delta region have accused the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) of spending N4 billion to sponsor the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2015 elections, including the failed re-election bid of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Speaking under the auspices of the Niger Delta Watchdogs (NDW), the ex-warlords praised President Muhammadu Buhari for the dissolving the NDDC board.
In a statement today, the ex-militants argued that while former President Olusegun Obasanjo established the NDDC for the development of the region, the immediate past board turned the commission into an institution for sponsoring ‘PDP elections’ in 2015.
The statement, signed by ‘General’ John Duku’ and three others on behalf of the NDW, declared that the NDDC spent over N4bn in sponsoring PDP elections when abandoned projects, belonging to the commission littered the entire Niger Delta region.
They called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the immediate past board of the commission.
The statement read: “The formation of the NDDC by former President Olusegun Obasanjo was for the development of the Niger Delta region. But the immediate past board of the commission has derailed from the aims and objectives of the commission and turned the commission into a political finance institution by using the money meant for the development of the Niger Delta Master plan to sponsor PDP elections in 2015.
“We were so shock that the commission spent over N4bn to sponsor PDP elections whereas abandoned projects by the commission are scattered all over the Niger Delta region. We call on EFCC to investigate and bring the immediate past board to justice.”
The ex-militant leaders urged Buhari to appoint a technocrat and God-fearing person as the new managing director of the NDDC.
NDW added, “The Niger Delta militants/ex-militant commanders commend Mr. President for the dissolution of the Niger Delta Development Commission Board. We salute the courage of the President to dissolve the NDDC. Over 45 commanders met under the auspices of the Niger Delta Watchdogs.”
They also suggested that the President should appoint someone with experience in the oil and gas industry and maintained that such step would make it easier for the NDDC to relate with the oil companies with a view to developing the region.
Advising Buhari to reject any nomination from politicians, the ex-fighters pleaded with him to accept a candidate that enjoyed the support of the masses. [myad]
Senate President, Bukola Saraki has branded the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as the engine room of corruption in the country even as he asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to thoroughly investigate the activities of the Corporation.
Speaking when the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led by its president, Ayuba Wabba visited him in Abuja today, Saraki said: “NNPC is where people who are the real engine room of corruption are.
”While the senate has interacted with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), it also intends to engage the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to look at the areas where the national assembly can assist to ensure that the fight against corruption is efficiently prosecuted.”
“We, in the eighth senate, have said there will be zero tolerance for the issue of corruption. Corruption is one issue slowing down development and some of the problems we are embarking on – whether you talk about our refineries not working, you talk of the issue of fuel subsidy, you talk about the high cost of governance, everything you talked about comes back to this issue of corruption and I think it is time for all of us, those of us in the national assembly, the executive and the workers, to show serious commitment.
“This should not be a headline-grabbing approach because at the end of the day, you are workers, when you talk about oil theft, we have Nigerian workers at the terminals who surely must know when this thing is going on. Everywhere that there is corruption, some workers are there either participating or observing. We now have a great opportunity to win the war against corruption because we have a leadership led by President Muhammadu Buhari that we believe has the political will to do the right thing.
“We are assuring you that at the executive side, we have elected the president that will do it well. I am making the commitment on behalf of the national assembly and myself that we are committed to fighting corruption. If you remember, I was the one that single-handedly in 2011 opened the lid on the fuel subsidy scam that everybody is talking about now.
“But at the end of the day, who are those people working in these places? They are Nigerian workers. They are not workers from anywhere else. So, I think I will also throw the challenge, now that we are getting the message that the political leadership is ready to take on this thing called corruption, I think we need the cooperation of our workers who know it all. They see it happen and when you look at the anti-corruption agencies, with all due respect, you will find out that 80 per cent of some of the cases are cases at the state level.
“You hardly see where people who are the real engine room which is the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation or where most of these corruption cases on oil are being put on trial.”
Saraki talked about the internal crisis in the Senate and the leadership crisis in NLC, saying: “You talked about the internal challenges that the NLC leadership is facing. I think I want to say the challenges are similar to ours. People contested elections, some will win and of course, some will lose; but at the end of the day, we all win when we all leave our personal interest and look at the interest of Nigeria.
“I want to assure you and Nigerians that we in the senate are ready to work for you. We are committed to the work we are elected to do. I think there are more of the noise outside the senate than in the senate. We are committed and we want our actions and our words to speak for us.”
“We recall that as a chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, your intervention helped to resolve the protracted teachers’ strike over their negotiated 27.5% teaching allowance. Similarly, not long ago, we had cause to condemn the ‘passing of 47 bills in 10 minutes’, by the seventh senate on the twilight of its lifespan.
“We note that though you were a member of the seventh senate, you were one of the few who felt honour-bound to publicly distance yourself from that regrettable incident.
“Therein lies the source of our hope that the 8th senate under your watch will be less opaque, less secretive, and will witness more transparency, more responsiveness to the yearnings and aspirations of the Nigerian people.” [myad]
Governors of the 36 states in Nigeria have unanimously resolved today to prune down the cost of governance to face the reality of the current economic down-turn. Rising from the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, held today at the Aso Presidential Villa, Abuja, the governors resolved to look at so many wasteful spending, especially on overhead, with a view to removing them. In the meeting, which was presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the governors were concerned about the huge wage bill for their workers, for which President Muhammadu Buhari recently announced bailout funds to assuage. Speaking to newsmen on behalf of his colleagues shortly after over six hours meeting, governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos said the governors also resolved to rally round President Buhari’s federal government to tackle the security challenges that have bedeviled the North East and South South, as well as to seriously address the bad situation of the nation’s economy. Ambode said that there was no template for all the governors on how to reduce the cost of governance, adding that each state would look at some peculiar situation before embarking on such reduction. Though the governors did not arrive at a uniform method of reducing the cost of governance, it was learnt that the major thing on the agenda would be the reduction in the number of political appointees, the number of vehicles for the governors and other officials of the states as well as the daily running cost of the government, including petty contracts.
“We resolved that all states should find ways to reduce their cost of governance,” governor Ambode emphasized, adding: “we do not have a uniform template on how to reduce the cost of governance but it is very clear that states in the specific situations will find different ways and means of ensuring the cost of running governance is not as huge as it has always been.
“So, it is left for the states in their respective situation to find the different ways of cutting cost but what is important is that we cannot continue with the kind of huge burden or huge cost we apply to run our government.
“A situation where you are having a huge percentage of your budget as recurrent expenditure is obviously not acceptable. And you must look for ways in reducing the cost of administration in the various states.”
Ambode said the committee set up by the council during its last meeting to probe the expenses of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Excess Crude Account under the past administration would submit its report during their next meeting.
According to a council document released at the end of the meeting, the council received a presentation from the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, on the update of restructuring of bank loans for the states and payment of salary arrears.
The governor was said to have informed the council that following meetings with banks, it was agreed that existing loans should be restructured for the minimum of 20 years while salary arrears should also be restructured for the minimum of 15 years and not exceed more than 20 years.
He added that states could opt for either the bond option, which would attract market rate, or the debt restructuring option, which would attract single digit rate.
“Council resolved that a four-man team made up of the governors of Bauchi, Rivers, Ondo and Osun States are to follow up with the CBN to ensure that the issues of Excess Crude Collateral for the states are sorted out by next week Tuesday,” the statement added.
The document also indicated that a presentation made by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, showed that the Excess Crude Account currently stands at $2.078 billion.
The council directed the Committee on ECA to work with the Accountant-General’s office to resolve the gaps observed in the presentation. [myad]
Detectives from Anambra State Police Criminal Investigation Department, Awka are currently investigating the alleged rape of a housewife by a white garment prophet who happens to be the elder brother to the victim’s husband on a farmland in Umuchu town, Aguata Local Government of the State.
The Criminal Investigative arm of the State Police Command embarked on the investigation after receiving a petition from a group known as Human Rights Awareness Initiative and Road Safety on behalf of the victim.
According to the victim, Mrs. Chinasa Okoronkwo, the Prophet identified as Pius Okoronkwo raped the victim while working on her farmland after she escaped several sexual harassment from the suspect.
Okoronkwo, who is the founder of Covenant Sabbath Mission Yaweh church with headquarters in Umuchu, however debunked the allegation saying that it was an attempt to blackmail him after sponsoring the marriage between her and his younger brother.
Chinasa on her part admitted that the suspect sponsored her marriage but stated that the prophet had another motive for sponsoring the traditional wedding.
The victim added that after her traditional marriage, the prophet approached her and told her that it was his responsibility to impregnate her despite being married to his brother.
She stated that despite her husband’s poor economic status, she turned down the offer since he was still alive and fit to get her pregnant.
The housewife further disclosed that the prophet kept harassing her until he allegedly raped her on her farm, adding that he threatened to kill her if she refused.
Chinasa affirmed that she had to seek the help of the human rights NGO so that the suspect will be made to face the wrath of the law.
Confirming the matter, Comrade Gilbert Obinwa of the Human Rights Awareness Initiative and Road Safety, said they received a complaint from the woman, adding that they had to petition the State Commissioner of Police.
Obinwa disclosed that what happened to the woman was height of injustice, adding that the police should investigate the allegation and ensure that the suspect be made to face the wrath of the law. [myad]
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