Coronavirus: Nigeria Issues Travel Ban To China, Restricts Incoming Passengers

January 29, 2020

The Federal Government of Nigeria has issued a travel ban to China and restricts the movement of those coming into Nigeria from the same country as one of the measures to stem the new health challenge, Coronavirus that is spreading across China and other countries.

Speaking to newsmen today, January 29, shortly after the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the presidential Villa, Abuja, the nation’s health minister, Dr. Osagie Ehanire said that in view of the trending stories around the Coronavirus, it has become very necessary to issue a travel advisory to Nigerians.

He said that Nigerians and all others from Nigeria, intending to travel to China should delay all their travel plans until further notice, except it is extremely essential for them to do that.

“All persons arriving from China or any country that has a major outbreak is advised, if they have no symptoms at all, to self isolate, meaning that they stay indoors in their homes for at least two weeks and if they develop any symptoms, like cough, catarrh, sneezing, breathing difficulties within this period, to report to the nearest health facility.

“We are also advising all airlines to report any case of a passenger falling sick on-board before the plane lands. “That is a requirement in the agreement. “Nigerian Port Health Services, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control are on alert at our airports and other points of entry.”

Omo-Agege Was Never Convicted By Any Court In US, Abuja Court Rules

Editorial staff

January 29, 2020

A High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Bwari, has dismissed a suit seeking the sack of Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, over allegations of perjury.

Justice Othman Musa ruled today, January 29, that Omo-Agege was never convicted by any court in the US.

A Non-Governmental Organisation, the Incorporated Trustees of Patriotic Youth Organisation of Nigeria, had instituted the suit and named Omo-Agege, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as first, second and third respondents respectively.

Justice Musa dismissed all the reliefs sought by the claimant on the grounds that Omo-Agege was never a convict or convicted by the court in America.

Answering one of the questions of the claimant, the court held that Omo-Agege was not under any obligation to inform INEC whether he was under a sentence or had been convicted since there has never been a conviction.

The judge maintained that from the judgment of the American court exhibited by Omo-Agege, the court dismissed that charge against him and that did not translate to an indictment or a conviction.

Moreover, the judge held that a judicial commission of inquiry was not equal to a court of law and that it was only a competent court of law that could convict.

Although Omo-Agege had asked the claimant to pay him N100 million as damages, the court awarded N1 million in his favour.

The group had asked the court for some reliefs including an order of court declaring that Omo-Agege committed perjury by lying to INEC.

Omo-Agege’s lawyer, Alex Iziyon, told reporters after the court’s verdict that his client had always maintained his innocence.

He said his client would accept the N1 million damage awarded him by the court.

Govt Approves N33, 000 Monthly Allowance For Youth Corpers

Editorial staff

January 29, 2020

The Federal Government has approved the sum of N33,000 as monthly allowance for Corps Members undergoing the mandatory Nigerian Youths Service Corps (NYSC).

The confirmation for the new stipend was announced by the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, who cleared the air on the amount approved as Corps Members’ monthly allowance by the Federal Government in line with the new National Minimum Wage.

Ibrahim, disclosed this while addressing Corps Members at the NYSC Bauchi State Secretariat during his working visit to the State.

While debunking false amounts being circulated on social media, he made it known to Corps members that the sum of thirty-three thousand naira had been approved as the new allowance.

He said that provision has been made for the new allowance in the year 2020 Budget, emphasising that payment would begin as soon as funds are released by appropriate authorities.

Nigeria, A Nation In judgement! By Simon Kolawole

Editorial staff

January 29, 2020

Eleven years ago — to be specific, on July 7, 2008 — the title of my column was: “One Day, the People Will Rebel”. I warned that the extravagant lifestyles of our elite in the face of crippling poverty in the country would come back to bite all of us one day. At the time, kidnappings were a Niger Delta thing as militants agitated for resource control, but I was talking about what I called the “non-oil” kidnappings which I said would become the fad in the near future. I said the Nigerian elite must get the message that they could not continue in their ways and expect peace and safety. I warned that there was a lot of frustration, anger, bitterness and resentment in the land.

I wrote that when “blood relations of wealthy people are being kidnapped in exchange for ransoms, that is a clear danger signal to the elite. You have a driver. You have a cook. You have a security guard. You have policemen guarding you. They are all human beings. They see things happening around them. They hear your phone conversations as you conduct your mindless transactions. They are hearing the mind-blowing figures. They see the movements of Ghana-Must-Go bags. In an attempt to ‘redistribute’ the loot, they will resort to kidnappings and demand ransoms. It is happening already. More are in the offing, I think.”

A reader was so angry with me that he sent me this SMS: “Simon, you are sowing evil ideas in the minds of our drivers and domestic staff. You are highly irresponsible. I will never read your column again.” Typical of me, I did not respond. I had realised early in my column-writing career that those who really want to engage in constructive debates normally use decent language. I hate street fights. As a kid, I was never involved in street fights. My grandmother (God bless her soul) was always proud to show me off to her friends as a “good boy”. I would be letting “Iya Kola” down in her grave if I engage in internet street fights. So I always let attacks and insults pass — with all pleasure.

However, I am always unhappy whenever I lose a reader because of my views. I feel I have lost a potential co-evangelist in my “leadership by example” approach to the building of a nation “where peace and justice shall reign”. That reader clearly misunderstood me: I was only forewarning on a disturbing development with the sole aim of gingering our leaders to act. Growing criminality is a product of our broken social system that deprives the majority of Nigerians the basics of life such as roads, water, healthcare, education, security and jobs. I was fighting for social justice. I was warning the elite that they were not safe in their fortresses no matter how many police escorts they have.

As a philosopher said, all I did was to hold up a mirror for the society to look at itself. Breaking the mirror — as that angry reader decided to do — would not change the picture. The inequality in Nigeria has been too much for too long. In a country where people lose their lives because they cannot afford drugs of N1,000, you have people buying private jets and flashy cars not from some hard work but by feeding on the commonwealth. Our hospitals are rejecting poor patients because there is no bed space. Pupils are sitting on the floor to learn chemistry and biology in schools the governor cannot allow his relatives to attend. Such a society cannot escape doom.

In that “offensive” article, I asked, sarcastically: “What is the way forward? More policemen? More bullet-proof SUVs? More private jets? More Banana Islands? More signs of ‘military zone, keep off’?” I then replied myself: “I don’t know, but I have a hunch that more equitable management of resources could be of help. I suspect that more jobs, more housing, more medicine, more books, better roads, and better power supply would be of use. I suspect that less looting, less waste of resources would go some way. But if things continue the way they are, there is no doubt about it: one day, the long-suffering people of this country will react. They will rebel. Mark my words.”

The rebellion seems to be in full motion today as Nigerians groan under the pandemic of kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, internet fraud and all kinds of criminality. Worse still, the security system cannot protect either the rich or the poor. We should ask ourselves how we got here. One of my favourite Yoruba proverbs, as oft-repeated by my late grandmother, says “when a child stumbles, he looks at his front; when an adult stumbles, he looks at his back”. Someone else would add: “Where did the rain begin to beat us?” If only we could retrace our footsteps, we will gain insight. We can then begin to sow a different seed today so that we can reap a different harvest tomorrow.

Last week, I watched as some members of the house of reps took turns to lament the state of insecurity in the country. One speaker after the other complained that they can no longer travel to or sleep in their villages because of insecurity. They are overwhelmed by the army of criminals. However, they just cannot see a link between their greed — their obscene allowances, their extortion-driven oversight activities as well as the padded budgets — and the poverty and insecurity in the land. That is the problem with Nigerian politicians: they think Nigeria is like this by mistake. They think if we are able to deploy more troops, kidnapping will stop. If only it were that simple!

Let me say this yet again: the Nigerian ruling elite need to have a meeting, perhaps a “meeting of minds”, and agree to change their ways. We cannot continue to run a system of an overfed elite minority and a malnourished majority and expect to keep travelling to the village in glittering SUVs without consequences. No. It won’t work. We cannot run a system where the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer and expect peace. We have been living a lie for too long. Commonsense tells us that inequality comes with a price. We cannot sustain a system that ruins the lives of the majority of 200 million Nigerians and hope to sleep and snore at night.

Although the economic downturn in the last five years and some of the policies of President Muhammadu Buhari are implicated in the current socio-political crises, the truth remains that for too long, we ignored the warning signals. For decades, the UNDP told us that 70 percent of Nigerians were living on less than $1 a day. What did we do to prevent the incoming disaster? It was all Greek to us. We spent our petrodollars as if there would be no tomorrow. Well, today is yesterday’s tomorrow. You don’t have to be a development expert to know that any country where the bulk of the youth are unemployed or unemployable is headed for chronic insecurity.

Don’t take my word for it. Check the poverty and unemployment rates of countries with the least incidence of crime and you will get a better idea of what I am driving at. When young men and young women wake up in the morning with nowhere to go, they are tempting the devil. He will give them something to do. Their energies will be misused and abused as they struggle to survive. No human being will sit down at home and die of hunger. Survival is a basic human instinct. The human being will survive by any means necessary — even if it is to steal, beg or borrow. The police and the army combined cannot contain crime when the factory producing criminals has not been closed.

Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. We have sown the wind and we are reaping the whirlwind. The teens and teenagers that we refused to care for yesterday have become our nemesis today. They are now in our neighbourhood and on the highway, making life unbearable for us. The security system we failed to overhaul and modernise for ages — despite security budgets in billions of dollars — is now unable to protect us. But if I may ask, what are we doing today to make sure our trouble does not double tomorrow? Are we investing properly in the future? Are we striving hard to make the country conducive in the future so that ordinary people can enjoy the basics of life? The elite must realise that it is in their own interest to make Nigeria habitable. This milking must subside.

Until the elite across board reach a consensus to curtail their greed and put Nigeria first, we cannot begin to make meaningful progress as a nation. Our predatory system will continue to breed terrorists, kidnappers, ritual killers, yahoo boys and circumstantial sex workers. What we are witnessing today would be child’s play compared to what is ahead. Nobody is safe in Nigeria, including those who think they are covered by a convoy of armed escorts. It is just a matter of time. Until we begin to sow the good seeds at all levels — federal, state and local — our troubles will keep multiplying. Nigeria will not develop overnight, but if we fail to act decisively and intelligently today, we cannot hope to reap gainful jobs, lasting peace, security and national prosperity tomorrow.”

Culled from THISDAY.

I’m Not A Politician, Fr. Mbaka Protests, Says Ihedioha Can’t Be Governor Again

Editorial staff

January 28, 2020

The popular Catholic Priest and spiritual director of Adoration Ministry Enugu, Nigeria (AMEN), Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka has protested against those who accused him of playing politics, saying that he is certainly not a politician.

This was even as he said that the ousted Governor Emeka Ihedioha can never return as governor of Imo State despite his return to the Supreme Court to ask for the reversal of its judgment sacking Him as governor.
Addressing a large crowd at his Adoration ministry ground today, January 28, the outspoken Catholic Priest said, “God took the glory away from Ihedioha because he was surrounded by people who don’t want him to work.
“I have always praised Ebonyi and Enugu governors because they are doing well. They are both in PDP. I’m not a politician and my ministry is about the Holy Spirit in line with Catholic doctrines.”
Rev. Mbaka said that Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who is now the governor, will cover within two years, all that Ohakim, Okorocha and Ihedioha did not achieve and that Imo people will be awed after two years of Uzodinma’s administration.
According to him, the Holy Spirit directed him to seek for Hope to announce to him that God wants to use him to rebuild the state.
He said that those accusing him of being partisan are yet to understand how the Holy Spirit works.

Amb. Adnan Rubs Mind With Aisha Buhari

Greenbarge Reporters

January 28, 2020

Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Nigeria, Ambassador Adnan Mahmoud Bostaji, today, January 28, met with the First Lady of Nigeria and Founder of the “Aisha Buhari Foundation,” Mrs. Aisha Buhari.
The host and the guest discussed issues on the ways to enhance cooperation in terms of humanitarian and relief aid which the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia offers, as well as the aid which her Excellecy’s foundation offers through its Future Assured program.
The First Lady commended the aid which the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, as well as the Crown Prince, had offered to the Northeast, devastated by Boko Haram insurgence.
They affirmed the strength of the friendly and historical ties between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

Kobe Bryant, Ihedioha Saga, Amotekun Et Al, By Reuben Abati

Editorial staff

January 28, 2020

“You look so downcast. Everything okay? Cheer up, man. This one that you are looking as if a trailer just crushed your legs.”

“I won’t deceive you. I am not happy at all. I am sad. Heart-broken.”

“What happened? You lost a contract, or someone swindled you? Whatever it is, just cheer up. When there is life, there is hope”

“I just look around and I wonder why this world is the way it is.”

“Don’t’ sound like that. The world has always been the way it is, and it will always be as it is, life without end.”

“So is that why bad things should always happen?”

“Good things happen too. Everyday. Life is a terrible mixture of good and bad. Be philosophical my brother. Without philosophy, we would all be sad and depressed and waiting to die.”

“So is that why Kobe Bryant should die in a helicopter crash, along with his 13-year old daughter, and seven others?”

“Very sad. Tragic. In that helicopter crash, a dream died. The future was erased.”

“He was just 41. He had to die at a time he should be enjoying his retirement. He had great hopes that his daughter would step into his shoes and become a great basketball athlete, the same way he too took over from his Dad, who was a basketball player. And just like that, the helicopter burst into flames putting an end to it all.”

“I am not a basket ball fan but from the little I have read in the news; he must have been one legend of a guy on the basketball court.”

“You don’t know Kobe Bryant? What are you? An alien?”

“Football is my game. I am a football person.”

“Kobe was one of the greatest human beings that ever played basket ball. He spent 20 seasons with the LA Lakers and made history with his talent. He is in the class of Michael Jordan. Off the basketball court, he was a humanist. We have lost a gem and a hero. He was NBA champion for a record five times. Most Valuable Player. NBA scoring champion. Olympic Champion. O ye Hills of Calabasas! May whatever demons that live therein remain cursed.”

“From what I read, it looked like the crash was caused by weather problem. I understand the weather was so foggy even the police grounded all their helicopters.”

“Kobe always shuttled around in his helicopter to avoid busy traffic. That was not the first time he would use his helicopter.”

“Accidents happen.”

“I know. But this one should not have happened.”

“There were other people in the helicopter.”

“I know. Their death is also tragic. John Altobelli, the coach of the Orange Coast College baseball team, his wife, Keri, their daughter Alyssa and Christina Mauser, a basketball coach at the Mamba Sports Academy.”

“Take heart. His legacy will no doubt endure. The way people have been reporting the incident, I am beginning to show interest in basketball. You are not alone. I have seen many Nigerians who have expressed so much sadness.”

“People are mourning all over the world, from the US to Italy to the Philippines.”

“I hope someday Nigeria will produce such a great athlete too, in any of the sports, who will capture the public imagination and evoke empathy in life and in death, not because of where he or she comes from, but on account of the quality of his or her contributions and achievement.”

“Do we value anything here? In a country where people are beheaded or killed in cold blood, and there is just no outrage? Isaac Promise, who distinguished himself representing Nigeria in U-20, and U-23 football died the other day, nobody from the Nigeria Football Federation attended his funeral. A Christian leader in Adamawa was abducted by the Boko Haram. He was later beheaded. Did anybody consider that unusual? We don’t care enough. Human lives mean nothing in Nigeria not to talk of the lives of accomplished persons who inspire others to greatness”

“By the way, I understand that one Prophet in Ghana has said that he can raise Kobe Bryant from the dead if 10% of his net worth is given to him.”

“Please. I am not in the mood for that. Too many charlatans parading as prophets. I am talking about death, you are quoting an idiot.”

“Talking about human lives, I have just read the story of the conviction of that lady who killed her husband in Abuja, because the man was seeing another woman.”

“Maryam Sanda. That is another tragic story. I understand after the judge read out his ruling, and pronounced death by hanging, she ran out of the court.”

“That was a tragic moment, with the judge reminding everyone in court that “Thou shall not kill. Whoever kills in cold blood shall die in cold blood.”

“You know these days when I attend a wedding, my prayer for the couple is that may they find everlasting love in each other’s company. Too many cases of domestic violence these days. Husbands killing their wives. Wives killing their husbands. Where then is love?”

“You know as I was going through the Maryam Sanda story, I saw another story, about how a 19-year old housewife in Malumfashi in Katsina also killed her husband yesterday. And somewhere in Abia State, one Mr. Kalu also shot his wife citing infidelity. Angry youths in the community captured the man and killed him.”

“When we have this kind of incident, so much is affected. Families are thrown into grief. The children in the marriage become orphans. It is one tragedy after another. Take the case of one 29-year old lady in Umuahia. She caught her husband in bed with their housemaid. She was so enraged she poisoned herself and her two children.

“What nonsense is that?”

“It is called the Medea Complex”

“Who is Medea?”

“I don’t want to bore you with Greek mythology. But if you have the time, try and read the ancient Greek play, Medea by Euripides.”

“Must you always quote a book? Look, I don’t have time for any ancient story. And I don’t need to read a book to know that there is depression in the land and that many couples are just tolerating each other. Why would a man shoot his wife? Why would a wife kill herself and her children because of a man? Because of infidelity? Well may be with the Maryam Sanda case, people will learn some lessons. You can’t just get angry and kill another person.”

“But do you think she stands any chance of winning at the Appeal Court? She has two children. Who will look after her children?”

“In this country, anything can happen. After that Supreme Court ruling on the Imo State Gubernatorial election, I concluded that anything can indeed happen in our courts. But talking seriously, a miracle may happen in the Maryam Sanda case. Afterall when one lady, Yewande, killed her husband in Ibadan in 2016, she was sentenced to only seven years imprisonment. She was later granted state pardon by the state government. Today, she is free. She will marry another man and move on.”

“The facts of the case may not be exactly the same. But murder is murder. Jealousy kills. Anger destroys. Hopefully, her lawyers will pursue the case all the way to the Supreme Court. Who knows?”

“Supreme Court. That reminds me. Emeka Ihedioha who was removed as Governor of Imo State, is going back to the Supreme Court to ask for a review of that controversial judgement?”

“I am aware of that. It is like giving the Supreme Court a second chance to correct its own mistakes. I hope their Lordships will find the courage to do the right thing. And I hope no ambulance lawyer will come up with the inane argument that the referee’s decision is final. Even in football these days, there is something called VAR. The Supreme Court needs to take a second look at the Imo case.”

“Are you optimistic that the Supreme Court will reverse itself? I don’t see that happening. There must be an end to litigation.”

“Still, justice must be done. Justice, not law.”

“What if the Court insists that it has done justice?”

“And what if the Court reverses itself and returns Ihedioha as Governor?”

“So that people like you can abuse their Lordships”

“Nobody will abuse them. Just answer my question, what if…?”

“I don’t think we can comfortably comment on something that may or may not happen.”

“Let us just assume”

“I don’t know. I don’t know. But if that happens, I would like to see the reaction of all the members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo state who immediately defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the moment Ihedioha was removed by court order and Senator Hope Uzodinma was installed as Governor.”

“Those ones? They will simply abandon the APC and return to the PDP. They will do so with straight faces and justify their conduct.”

“No ideology”

“There is nothing called ideology in Nigerian politics. There are only stomachs. And some stomachs are bigger than other stomachs.”

“My belle oh.. my stomach oh.”

“Even the people are interested in their own stomachs too. That is why they sell their votes to the highest bidder.”

“Our democracy is in trouble.”

“You can say that again.”

“Hen hen. How far with this their Operation Amotekun thing in the South West, now that the Federal Government says the security network as proposed is no longer illegal? Have you seen any of the Amotekun officials on the streets of the South West?”

“I have seen pictures of Amotekun vehicles on social media. I have seen pictures of hunters wearing charms and amulets. I have also seen pictures of some pretty ladies wearing Amotekun fabric, each one of them with “come and do” eyes. I tell you, if those are the kind of ladies that will be recruited into the Amotekun squad, I may consider a change of vocation and join the Amotekun”

“Very good. I will be the first to let your wife know your plans. Whatever happens to you, you are on your own. Of all the things that have been said and written about Amotekun, the only thing that you are excited about is the images of women, who have nothing to do with the security outfit by the way, but who are just part of the dark humour that the Amotekun has generated on social media.”

“We joke too much in this country. That is part of our problem. But did you see the T-shirts that some people have made with Amotekun labels, and which they are now selling online?”

“That’s called enterprise. I have no problem with that. It is certainly better than what one Pastor is trying to do in Abuja.”

“Which Pastor is that?”

“I don’t know his name. I only know that he is now selling what he calls “miracle pants and bras” specially designed for single ladies who are looking for husbands. It is said that the miracle pants and bras will attract men. And you know some desperate girls will actually patronize the Pastor.”

“These Pastors! Where in the Bible do you have miracle pants and bras? He is actually promoting promiscuity and pre-marital sex. Too many people hiding under religion to mislead people in this country.”

“It is terrible. It is just like one Muslim group which has been quoted as saying Muslims in the South West should reject theAmotekun because it has Biblical origin.”

“How? Amotekun is just a Yorba word for the Leopard. Amotekun also has symbolic meanings in Yoruba cosmogony as a totem.”

“The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is complaining that there is a reference to the leopard in the Bible. Specifically, Jeremiah 5: 6 which says “A leopard shall guard over their city.” The group claims that Amotekun is meant to be a Christian outfit, that will parade pastors, bishops and archbishops alone”.

“What is wrong with some people, though? Why do we have so many idle people in this country?”

“It beats me.”

“Please let me come and start going. I’ll need to take an Okada back to the office. I didn’t come with my car. I don’t like driving up and down during office hours. I left my car in the office.”

“Okada? Have you not heard that the Lagos State Government has banned motorcycles and tricycles on the streets of Lagos?”

“That wont be until February 1. And in any case, it is not an outright ban, it is more like a restriction of movement. The state government merely wants to enforce an existing law. I only hope they will insist on certain regulations such as the use of helmets and ankle guards particularly by the motorcyclists and their passengers, and penalties for overloading.”

“They should ban all motorcycles and tricycles. They are a nuisance. I detest them.”

“And what jobs will you create to absorb the motorcyclists and tri-cyclists? You want to create an army of armed robbers and petty thieves? The poor should also be allowed to live. We only need to enforce the laws to save them from themselves.”

“E-eee-hei-shun!!!”

“What’s that? Did you just sneeze?”

“What does it look like to you?”

“Please come and be going before you come and give someone Corona Virus. Ha. Ha. Have you not been reading the public health advisory issued by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the Federal Ministry of Health?”

“There is no Corona Virus in Nigeria”

“Who says? For your information, it is already in Ivory Coast. It is on its way. Please, I beg, don’t sneeze again anyhow. And don’t make the mistake of shaking my hand… Bye!.”

Ahead Of March 2 Election, Israeli Leader, Netanyahu Faces Corruption Charges

Editorial staff

January 28, 2020

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has been indicted in three corruption cases after he withdrew his request for immunity hours before the Knesset was set to pick up the issue.

The Justice Ministry announced today, January 28 that the indictment had been filed at the Jerusalem District Court.

Netanyahu could soon face trial for charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery in three separate cases.

It is unclear, however, whether the trial will begin before Israelis head to the polls on March 2.

Netanyahu had announced on Facebook earlier on Tuesday that he had informed Parliamentary Speaker Yuli Edelstein of his decision.

The Israeli prime minister, who is currently in Washington as U.S. President Donald Trump is set to unveil his Middle East peace plan, said that he decided not to let this dirty game continue.

At this fatal hour for the people of Israel, while I am in the United States on a historic mission to determine the permanent borders of Israel and ensure our safety for future generations, the Knesset is to begin another show in the immunity circus,’’ he wrote.

His chances of success had been slim, since the lawmakers in the current Knesset who are opposed to the request have a majority.

Today, the parliament still voted in favour of setting up a House Committee, which would have decided on whether the 70-year-old should be given immunity, even though he had withdrawn the request.

The committee will begin talks on a parliamentary immunity request by ex-minister Haim Katz, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party.

Edelstein, also a Likud member, left when the discussion began.

He had earlier called the formation of the committee shortly before elections a grave mistake and said he would not cooperate.

Netanyahu’s political rival Benny Gantz, who also went to Washington to meet Mr Trump and discuss the plan, said the prime minister was going to trial and Israel must move forward.

“No man can manage a country as well as manage three serious criminal cases,’’ wrote Mr Gantz, who had returned to Israel for the proceedings.

Israel’s attorney general announced in November that Netanyahu would be charged with fraud, breach of trust and bribery in three cases.

It is now the first time in Israel’s history that an incumbent prime minister is facing indictment.

Netanyahu is not required to resign as prime minister when indicted, though he did step down from all his ministerial posts earlier this month.

The long-time leader is facing corruption charges for allegedly offering political favours in return for positive press coverage and helping wealthy business contacts in return for gifts.

The elections scheduled for March 2 are an unprecedented third in less than a year.

The government has found itself in political limbo amid a stalemate between a bloc of right-wing and religious parties led by Netanyahu and a bloc of centrist and Arab parties.

Open Letter To Atiku Abubakar On 2023 Presidency

Editorial staff

January 28, 2020

….”don’t listen to these praise singers who are already urging you to run for presidency. Some of them are only interested in your money.”

Read the full content of the letter by anonymous writer:

Dear Atiku Abubakar,

Your political relevance in Nigeria cannot be undermined and understated. Since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, you have played centre stage in the country’s political discussion. You were vice president from 1999 to 2007, a period in Nigeria’s political history that has gone to shape the country’s democratic practice. You were one of the most important persons in the formation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). You were also a notable financier of the All Progressives Congress when the party came into the political scene. On your return to the PDP, you won the party’s presidential ticket and faced incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 Presidential election. After you lost the election, you vowed to appeal the Buhari victory which you did and even after losing at the tribunal, you went to the Supreme Court. Following your loss at the Supreme Court, you released a statement expressing concern about the country’s judiciary but still accepted the verdict in good faith nonetheless.

The tussle for 2023 has already started and some people are already asking you to run. These people have started trending hashtags saying you are the best man to lead Nigeria in 2023. They highlight some of your political successes and point out your business ventures and that with you at the realm of affairs; Nigeria would be on the road to success.

Dear Atiku, don’t listen to these praise singers who are already urging you to run for presidency. Some of them are only interested in your money. You are known to be a free-spender especially during electoral seasons and some of these people establishing groups in your name are only after what they can personally benefit.

Also, you have been a big supporter of the Not-too-young-to-run movement and have expressed support for youths in the country to be given a chance. You are 73 years sir and have already contributed to the growth of the country’s democracy. Although constitutionally, you have the right to contest for presidency but ask yourself this sir: Does Nigeria still need a president older than 70? The job is a very tasking one that requires the person at the realm of affairs to literally be on his toes. If it was in the civil service, you would have retired. Nigeria needs a youthful and vibrant president to help cope with the fast-paced dimension the world is taking.

Waziri, Nigeria also needs a breath of fresh air and its time all the old orders, which you also belong to, give it a rest. The country has continued to recycle leaders who go on to appoint their old friends into key positions and it has done little to move the country forward. You have also done your best but it is time to let a new order take control of the country.

Another significant reason why you should not consider running for 2023 presidency is that the mantle of political leadership is expected to swing to the south in the spirit of zoning. For the continuation of the unity of this country, it is only fair that the north support a southern presidency. You are one of the most detribalized Nigerians who believe that every region deserves respect and none is greater than the other. Please display this by supporting a 2023 southern presidency.

You have done a lot for Nigeria and you don’t need to be the president to continue to do so. Even from the side-line, your impact can still be felt.

Buhari To Auditors: Keep Public Servants On Their Toes, Fight Corruption

Editorial staff

January 28, 2020

President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Auditors-General to keep public and civil servants on their toes as a way of fighting corruption in the government system.

‘I want to encourage you to continue to do your best. It is important that all Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are kept on their toes through timely and high-quality audits.”

The President, who declared open today, January 28, the second edition of the conference of Auditors-General in Nigeria, challenged auditors to adhere to the professional code of conduct guiding their operations, while ensuring timely and quality review of financial performance of public officers.

”As accountability institutions in the Federal, states and local governments, and as the institutions empowered under the Constitution to review the financial performance of public officers even where there has been no petition or allegation, you are uniquely placed to tackle corrupt practices.

”Through your audit findings and recommendations, corrupt practices would be discovered early and loopholes blocked before they are exploited.

”Furthermore, you have the full range of audit tools at your disposal including financial compliance, performance and Information Technology audits.

”There is literally no aspect of government performance or expenditure you cannot examine. What may be missing is the will to properly deploy the powers that you have.

”In which case, I will remind you that under-performance by auditors, or ineffective audits, contribute largely to governance problems. Auditors therefore need to decide not to be part of the problem but the arrow to the solution.”

Commenting on the 2016 and 2017 Annual Reports of the Auditor-General of the Federation, the President noted that the audit opinion was in line with the reality of corruption, mismanagement and misappropriation facing the nation.

President Buhari told the three-day conference that his administration is fully aware of the value that audit and scrutiny brings to the performance of governance functions.

He assured the professionals that regular and constant monitoring of performance would be prioritized as the Federal Government rolls out its Development Plan.

”We know that MDAs charged with delivery of activities that impact the lives of Nigerians can all monitor and report their own performance, but the most reliable measure is an accurate and independent assessment by external auditors.

”This is one key reason all tiers of government in Nigeria need a strong external audit function.”

The President also used the occasion to highlight some key achievements in the fight against corruption through government anti-corruption agencies, especially the EFCC, the ICPC, the Code of Conduct Bureau and others.

”These successes include significant arrests, recoveries of cash and properties purchased with stolen funds and the blockage of loopholes through which people siphon public funds.

”You may also have noted the progress made by the Judiciary in the trials of several cases and the sanctions and sentences being handed out to offenders.

”You will also be aware of this administration’s Financial Transparency Policy and the launch of the Open Treasury Portal at the end of 2019. This again is to improve on accountability, access to information for all citizens and the timeliness of financial information.

”You can see that a lot has been done, but there is so much more to do, as the cancer of corruption has deeply affected our country and our governance practices, and the fight cannot be won until all tiers of government and indeed the generality of Nigerians are determined to join the fight against corruption.’’

Buhari acknowledged that auditors are facing several challenges, adding that very few States had the operational and financial independence necessary to deliver high level performance.

He assured the auditors that efforts are being made to strengthen the independence of their offices, encouraging them to strive to achieve maximum impact with the powers they currently have.

”My expectation for the future is to see audits conducted at all tiers of Government with more impactful findings. I expect audit institutions to be able to report the amount of financial impacts and savings they have achieved for their government, along with none-financial impacts.”

The President emphasized the need for quality audit and asked the conference to reflect on the following:

”Has any annual Financial Statements produced by any of the States received anything other than a clean audit opinion as far back as you can remember?

”You will admit this is strange, in view of the significant cases of misappropriation that have been uncovered, the huge balances that have been recovered and the sentences being served by convicted officials including past state governors.

”One can either assume the audits are not thoroughly done, the auditors have been compromised, or the auditors are constrained in some way or other.

”You will know best what your constraints are, but I encourage you to reflect on this issue. What will it take to do a thorough job for the sake of your Local Government, your State, Nigeria and for the sake of future generations?”

This was even as the Auditor-General of the Federation, Anthony Ayine, identified the absence of an Audit Act, which is a basic requirement for Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of Nigeria, as a major impediment for audit institutions in the country.

He said that the Audit Ordnance of 1958 which the country is using is no longer in the statute books of Nigeria and called for the enactment of Audit Laws to further strengthen the audit institutions to perform better.

The Auditor-General pledged total support of auditors to the administration’s fight against corruption, acknowledging that the presidential directive in 2015 to MDAs to ensure prompt response to audit queries has been very effective in ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of the country’s resources.

Ayine also highlighted other successful initiatives of the Federal Government to promote accountability and transparency in governance including Treasury Single Account (TSA), Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and other Electric platforms that ensure blockage of leakages.

A major highlight of the event was the presentation of ”Champion of Transparency and Anti-Corruption” Award to President Buhari by the Conference of Auditors-General in Nigeria.

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