World Longest Serving Foreign Minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal Is Dead

July 9, 2015

Former Saudi Foreign Minister, considered as the world’s longest serving foreign minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, has died. He served for 40 years on the job.
The senior level Saudi information ministry official said today that Prince Saud had passed away and that an official statement would be published soon.
Prince Saud, who was appointed in 1975, was the world’s longest serving foreign minister when he was replaced on April 29 by Adel al-Jubeir, the then ambassador to Washington.
Prince Saud served under four Saudi kings, advancing the Kingdom’s foreign policy, especially after the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States.
He was also part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to lessen Iran’s influence in the region, including the continuing conflict in Syria, where Saudi Arabia has been supporting several rebel groups.
As the foreign minister of an important political and economic US ally in the region, Saud was reported to have been well liked and respected in diplomatic circles.
The US embassy in Saudi Arabia tweeted the US secretary of state, John Kerry as saying that “Saud was not only the longest serving foreign minister, but was also one of the wisest.” [myad]

Ugandan President Museveni, Clamps Down On Opposition Presidential Candidates Ahead Of Elections

Greenbarge Reporters

July 9, 2015

Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni is believed to have began clamp down on opposition Presidential candidates as police in the country have arrested two presidential hopefuls and an aide to one of the politicians ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Reports said that the former Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi, a challenger to President Yoweri Museveni as the incumbent candidate in the 2016 elections, was arrested while he was on his way to meet supporters in an eastern Ugandan town near the Kenyan border.
The other detainee was three-time presidential candidate, Kizza Besigye who has been detained for his political activities numerous times. He was arrested outside his home near Kampala, the Ugandan capital as he headed out to address a rally, according to his aide Francis Mwijukye.
Andrew Felix Kawesi, Uganda Police operations commander, appeared on local television station NSB confirming the arrests to journalists in Njeru, a town just outside Kampala.
“I am telling you … I am the police and I have arrested him. He has to stick to what the law requires … there’s no going to Mbale. He’s now under incarceration,” Kawesi said.
Mbabazi was travelling to Mbale, a town near Uganda’s border with Kenya, to have a consultative meeting with his supporters and promote his candidature.
The police announced in June that Mbabazi was banned from holding meetings about his challenge to Museveni, because their party had yet to nominate a candidate.
Mbabazi had a good relationship with Museveni, who has been Uganda’s leader since 1986. Ties between them have been strained in recent years because Museveni accused Mbabazi of making decisions in the ruling party without consulting him. Museveni sacked Mbabazi from the Prime Minister position in 2014.
There are concerns within the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), that President Museveni is grooming his son to be president when he dies. President Museveni has been Uganda’s head of state since he overthrew President Milton Obote in a 1986 coup.
The ruling National Resistance Movement has endorsed Museveni to represent them in next year’s election.
There are concerns within the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), that President Museveni is grooming his son to be president when he dies. President Museveni has been Uganda’s head of state since he overthrew President Milton Obote in a 1986 coup. [myad]

Army Announces Arrest Of Boko Haram Kingpin That Bombed Zaria, Jos

Greenbarge Reporters

July 8, 2015

The Nigerian Army has announced the arrest of three suspects, including their kingpin who bombed Zaria in Kaduna state and in Jos, the capital of Plateau state within the week.
The suspects were caught by troops in a trailer at a checkpoint in Dadin Kowa, Gombe State.
According to a statement issued by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, the suspects were already “being processed for further action.”
The statement reads: “Please recall that on Sunday, 5th July 2015, suspected Boko Haram terrorists carried out coordinated bomb and gun attacks on worshippers at Ýan Taya Mosque, Dillimi Street, off Bauchi Road, Jos , where the holy month of Ramadan tafsir was holding, and Shagalinku Restaurant, along Bauchi Road, Jos, Plateau State which led to death of over 48 persons, injuring several other persons and destruction of property.
“Similarly, the terrorists carried out another bomb attack on hapless workers undergoing verification exercise at Sabon Gari local government secretariat, Zaria, Kaduna State which resulted in the death of over 25 people including a two-year-old child and destruction of property.
“Consequently, security cordon was established in the general areas especially along Bauchi, Gombe and the North-Eastern part of the country by troops of 3 Division and Special Task Force, as well as the Department of State Services.
“This culminated in the successful arrest of the mastermind of the heinous terrorist acts and two of his accomplices at a checkpoint in Dadin Kowa, Gombe State.
“The terrorist kingpin and his colleagues who disguised in a trailer while trying to evade checks were fished out by troops of Nigerian Army.
“The arrested terrorists are currently being processed for further action and would soon face the full wrath of the law.
“The general public are hereby please requested to be more vigilant, security conscious and report any suspicious persons, movements, and facilities to the security agencies.” [myad]

Microsoft To Sack 7,800 Employees Worldwide

Greenbarge Reporters

July 8, 2015

Microsoft boss, Satya Nadella, is set to downsize the computer software giant’s workforce, with up to 7,800 people to be laid off globally, the company announced Wednesday morning. Most of the jobs are within its smartphone hardware business.
Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) had 118,600 employees as of March 30, with about 60,000 workers in the United States. The job cuts represent about 7 per cent of its staff.
This will be Nadella’s second major restructuring. He announced 18,000 layoffs in Nokia’s devices and services business last year, following Microsoft’s acquisition of the handset maker.
Former Microsoft head Steve Ballmer’s purchase of Nokia was one of his most criticised deals. Analysts attacked him for hampering the firm with an aging legacy business.
“It is a deal that makes no sense,” Ben Thompson, an independent analyst, wrote when the acquisition was first announced. “Adding on a mobile phone business that Microsoft probably should abandon is like attaching an anchor to said straitjacket and tossing the patient into the ocean.”
After Nadella took over Microsoft, he made it clear that he would have to make aggressive changes to revitalise the company. The company’s focus is now on cloud services and mobile software.
“We are moving from a strategy to grow a standalone phone business to grow and create a vibrant Windows ecosystem,” Nadella said inWednesday’s announcement. “In the near-term, we’ll run a more effective and focused phone portfolio while retaining capability for long-term reinvention in mobility.”
The latest cuts may be especially detrimental to Finland, where many of Nokia’s employees work.
Pekka Pekkala, the communications head for the country’s prime minister, said on Twitter that 66 percent of Microsoft’s Finland staff would be dismissed.
“Finland loses 2,300 jobs…pretty much killing the city of Salo,” Pekkala tweeted. [myad]

BringBackOurGirls Group Demands Apology From Former President Jonathan For Laxity

Greenbarge Reporters

July 8, 2015

The BringBackOurGirls (BBOG), a campaign group for the return of the over 200 school girls abducted by Boko Haram from Chibok, has demanded an apology from the government of the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan for laxity in addressing the issue before it turned into complex matter.
The group, led by a former education minister, Oby Ezekwesili, marched en-mass to the Presidential Villa today, where they met with President Muhammadu Buhari and made it clear that the apology is needed also for the failure of governance that led to the abduction.
They also demanded an apology for the failure of governance that caused failure to rescue the girls for over 400 days and asked the government to come out with; strategies for curbing the emergence, and growth of curious sects.
The group also wanted the government to immediately set up a structured feedback and communication system that is composed of the Federal and Borno State Governments through designated security and ministerial authorities, the parents of the abducted girls.
The group said there should a feedback mechanism so that the affected parents and the public can have regular updates on efforts to rescue the 219 ChibokGirls.
The group requested President Buhari to personally visit Chibok to make him have a first-hand impression of the plight of the families who lost their children a year ago. The girls were abducted on April 14, 2014.
The failure of then President Goodluck Jonathan to visit the community, and his handling of the Boko Haram crisis, drew wide national and international condemnation. The former president also refused to meet with the BringBackOurGirls group.
“The entire Chibok community anxiously requests that Mr. President visit Chibok within the first 100 days of this administration to have a first-hand view of the plight of our people, while we look forward to the safe return of our daughters very soon,” said Dauda Illiya, who spoke on behalf of Kibaku Area Development Association, an association of indigenes of Chibok community.
Responding, President Buhari said that the issue of the Chibok abduction was handled by the Jonathan government with levity, saying that the conflicting report between the security agencies and the federal government had put the country in bad light locally and internationally.
“The delayed and late reaction by former government and its agencies was very unfortunate” he said.
He however assured that his government will do its best to restore the respectability of the country and its institutions, adding that strategies, which cannot be made public at the time, have been put in place to defeat the Boko Haram scourge.
The President said that he was pleased that the Boko Haram terrorists were blowing up themselves in the process of their attacks and should “change their names from Boko Haram to something else, because no religion will kill the innocents.
“You can’t go and kill innocent people and say Allahu Akbar! It’s either you don’t believe it or you don’t know what you are saying. So, it has nothing to do with religion, they are just terrorist and Nigeria will demobilise all of them.” [myad]

Senate Gives CBN Marching Order: Retrieve N30 Billion Waivers By Jonathan To Rice Importers

Greenbarge Reporters

July 8, 2015

The Senate has ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to collaborate with the Nigerian Customs Service to retrieve about N30 Billion allegedly granted as waivers by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to some firms, which imported rice into the country.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, gave the order at a news briefing today after a three-hour meeting between the upper chamber and the management of the CBN, led by the Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.
Saraki said that the meeting deliberated extensively on the specific steps needed to be taken in order to diversify the nation’s economy from import dependent to export-based with priority given to locally produced agriculture and textile products.
“We must also show the big signals in things that will bring out the success of this policy. For example, you (CBN team) brought to our notice, the issue of the waivers on taxes and duties especially on rice, which is about N30bn that were granted to certain companies. This money must be paid back to the Federal Government.
“We have mentioned this to the Governor of Central Bank. It will be our resolve too after we resume to get the Nigerian Customs to act on this. Even before that, we cannot be taking some of these top positions while some people will get away and will not pay what they are supposed to pay, what they should return to government.
“We have told the governor of CBN as well. He should also go and collaborate with Customs to ensure that this N30bn come back to the government coffers. So that we will be seen to be doing things to make this policy successful.”
Senator Saraki made it clear that the Buhari administration is committed to the policy which was intended to encourage local production of some selected items, particularly key ones that has to do with agricultural products like rice, chicken, palm oil, and even in the areas of textiles.
He said the policy was a step taken in the right direction to help the economy in the area of import and export substitution. [myad]

Court Locks Up Ex Imo Governor, Ohakim Over Alleged Money Laundering

Greenbarge Reporters

July 8, 2015

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that a former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over money laundering charges.
Ohakim was arrested by the EFCC yesterday alongside his colleague, the former Adamawa State governor, Murtala Nyako and his son, Abdul-aziz. They were arraigned in court today, Wednesday.
The judge, Ademola Adeniyi, ordered that Ohakim should remain in the custody of the commission until tomorrow for hearing on his bail application.
Ohakim is accused of making a cash payment to the tune of $2, 290,000.00 (about N270,000,000.00) for the purchase of a property at Plot Number 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, otherwise known as Number 60, Kwame Nkurumah Street, Asokoro in Abuja.
The amount is above the threshold approved for an individual, going by the provisions of Section 1 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004.
The former governor is also accused of deliberately neglecting to disclose all his assets in the declaration submitted to the EFCC.
One of the three count charges against him reads: “That you, Ikedi Ohakim, on or about the January 26, 2013 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, while under arrest for an offence under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004 knowingly failed to make a full disclosure of your assets by not declaring your ownership of the property known and described as Plot No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District- it is also known as No.60, Kwame Nkurumah Street, Asokoro, Abuja and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27(3)(c) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004 and punishable under the same section.”
The former governor pleaded not guilty to all the three charges against him.
In view of his pleas, the prosecution counsel, Festus Keyamo, prayed the court to remand the accused person in prison custody pending trial.
However, Mr. Adeniyi ordered that Ohakim be remanded in the EFCC Custody and adjourned hearing on the bail application to Thursday.
Similarly, former governor Nyako of Adamawa State, his son and two others, were also remanded in EFCC’s custody by Justice Kanu Agabi of the same Federal High Court in Abuja.
They are facing criminal charges bordering on laundering N15 billion. The hearing on their bail application was adjourned till Friday. [myad]

Group Raises Eye-Brow Over Alleged Fraudulent Sale Of 3 Oil Mining Leases To Mobile Producing Nigeria

Greenbarge Reporters

July 8, 2015

A coalition of over hundred and fifty Anti-corruption organizations under the umbrella of Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) has raised eye brow over the alleged fraudulent renewal of three oil mining leases to Mobile Producing Nigeria at $600 Million. The three oil mining leases are OMLs 67, 68 & 70.
The group said that it’s primary aim is to constructively combat corruption vigorously and ensure the effective monitoring of the various Anti-graft agencies in the fight against corruption and contribute towards the enthronement of transparency, accountability, probity and total commitment in the fight to eradicate corruption in Nigeria.
In a petition to the Economic and Financail Crime Commission (EFCC), titled: Request To Investigate Act Of Economic Sabotage And Fraud Regarding The Renewal Of Three Oil Mining Leases (OMLs 67, 68 & 70) For Mobile Producing Nigeria For 600 Million US Dollars, the group wanted EFCC to investigate “this act of economic sabotage fraud.”
The petition which dated June 29 and signed by the chairman of the group,
Olanrewaju Suraju reads in part:
“It was widely reported in the media sometime ago that the Federal Government had renewed three Oil Mining Leases OMLs 67, 68 & 70) for Mobil Producing Nigeria. However, the details of the terms of the renewed leases were not disclosed to the press.
“It would be recalled that based on the valuation conducted by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mobil and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as equity holders, were required to pay $6.375 billion as 100% of the reserve fee. Mobil’s 40% share in the lease was fixed at $2.55 billion and a commitment to invest additional sum of $1.2 billion in a refinery and gas infrastructure for the domestic market.
“But Mobil rejected the said terms and paid $600 million for the renewal of the three oil blocks which have a combined output of 580,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Curiously, the payment was accepted by the then Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, who purportedly signed the deal.
“However, the predecessor of the erstwhile Minister of Petroleum Resources refused to endorse this questionable and shady transaction. The said leases were however, renewed for 20 years by the erstwhile Minister of Petroleum Resources on behalf of the Government of the Federation.
“In the light of the foregoing, and in view of the demand of the Nigerian people for the transparent management of the oil and gas industry, we are compelled to request that you investigate this act of economic sabotage fraud regarding the renewal of the said three Oil Mining Leases (OMLs 67, 68 & 70) for Mobil Producing Nigeria. More so, that a Chinese company had offered to pay the difference of $4.85 billion for 30% equity interest in the NNPC-Mobil Joint Venture.” [myad]

How PDP Federal Government Looted, Squandered Nation’s Treasury – Presidency

Greenbarge Reporters

July 8, 2015

Nigeria Presidency has asked Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to cover its face in eternal shame for the looting, plundering and squandering of the nation’s treasury by the federal it controlled for 16 years before Nigerians sacked it.
“Instead of being repeatedly impugned and castigated by the PDP and its agents for honestly telling Nigerians that the nation’s treasury has been immensely depleted and its resources looted or squandered under previous administrations of the PDP, President Buhari should be commended for the openness, transparency and accountability which he has now brought to the management of national funds.”
Reacting to the claim by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh that the mony released by President Muhammadu Buhari was the one saved by the administration of Goodluck Jonathan, special adviser to President Buhari on media and publicity, Femi Adesina described such claim as “banal and ludicrous.
“We also reject the banal and ludicrous demand by the PDP Spokesman, Olisa Metuh that the PDP Government which was ousted by Nigerians at the last general elections for running the country aground, be given some credit for “saving” the funds that were disbursed as part of the intervention package approved by President Buhari.
“Mr. Metuh’s claim that a significant amount of the funds came from savings accumulated in the Excess Crude Account and handed over to the Buhari Administration is completely false and deliberately intended to mislead the public.
“As we clearly stated yesterday, the funds approved by President Buhari for sharing to the three tiers of government on Monday came entirely from dividends and taxes paid to the Federation Account by the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG), not from the Excess Crude Account.
“The disbursed NLNG dividends and taxes were paid into the Federation Account in June this year and confirmed by the Central Bank’s Statement to the Federal Government on July 7, 2015. The funds cannot therefore be considered “savings” by the Jonathan Administration which left office in May, 2015, as disingenuously claimed by Mr. Metuh.”
Adesina said that it was in keeping with the new spirit of openness in the running of the government that the President promptly disclosed the accrual of the NLNG dividends and taxes to the Federation Account at his recent meeting with State Governors and approved the convening of a special session of the FAAC to share it.
“As a state governor who was present at the meeting remarked, under past administrations, the states never had the benefit of such disclosures.
“Mr. Metuh and others who now ungratefully see Monday’s disbursement of the NLNG proceeds as their “legitimate” earnings and not a “bailout” from the Federal Government may wish to tell Nigerians if such earnings were ever disclosed by the PDP Federal Government and paid to the states in the past.
“The public may also wish to note that the Buhari Administration itself has never referred to the actions which it has taken to ease the current financial difficulties of states as a “bailout.” [myad]

Police To Begin Stop-And-Search In Major Cities, Towns, Says The Measure Is Temporary

Greenbarge Reporters

July 7, 2015

Nigeria Police has announced that sequel to intelligence report, its officers and men would commence special stop and search on Roads and Highways nationwide, with emphasis on roads in and out of major cities/towns.
A statement by the deputy Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Abayomi Shogunle, said that the directive was given by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Solomon E. Arase.
“Citizens are enjoined to bear with the Nigeria Police Force during this security operation which is a temporary measure put in place to address the intelligence received.
“The special security measure, stop and search is in no way a return of roadblocks. Any unprofessional conduct should be reported at www.stopthebribes.net or nearest Police Station.”
The statement said that general public is advised to cooperate with Police operatives by providing answers to questions that may be asked as well as allowing their vehicles to be searched. [myad]

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