A member of the Sixth Senate, who represented Bayelsa East Senatorial district between 2007 and 2011 on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange, has quit the party and gave notice of his intention to join the ruling All Progressives Congress the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole through the Acting National Secretary, Victor Giadom.
Barigha-Amange, who said that he is moving with members of his political family, all members of Destiny Movement and SIG Elite Foundation of Nembe and Brass local government areas, said that his decision to defect to the APC was due to the authoritarian attitude of Governor Seriake Dickson.
“When I was in PDP, we were enslaved by only one man who regarded himself as emperor. There were no political activities there even if you want to be a Councillor. The 105 councillors were nominated by him. The eight chairmen were nominated by him, so, I cannot be part.
“I was one of the founding fathers of PDP in Bayelsa State. I did not join the PDP, I took part in the formation of PDP here in August 1998 and I have been there since. But I have never seen this kind of authoritarian rule. So, I have decided to pitch my tent with a party that can uproot this bottom from the ground, so that, Bayelsans will be freed, and I promise you, Bayelsans will be freed come November 16, 2019.”
The former lawmaker expressed optimism that APC will win the governorship election in the state, adding that out of eight Local Government Areas, APC has taken three local governments while PDP is holding on to two local governments and that the remaining three will be shared equally.
“Today, I can tell you that the candidate of APC, David Lyon, comes from Southern Ijaw LG. That is the Local government with the highest voting strength. Definitely, that Local government is for APC. I come from Nembe LG and by my joining APC, Nembe has fallen into the hands of APC.
“Brass is where Timipre Sylva comes from and Brass normally is for APC. And I also assisted APC in winning my own Senatorial district in the last election. I also assisted APC in winning House of Representatives seat during February election. So, those three LGs are gone and we can give Kolokuma/Opokuma, the smallest LG to PDP because their candidate is from there.
“Then, the Sagbama Local Government Area where the present governor comes from will be donated to the present governor because his running mate is from Sagbama LG.
“Where the governor comes from, is where he picks running mate to PDP candidate. The question is, what will other LGs do? We can still donate that to him, so, we are taking three, they are taking two. The remaining LGs is 50/50.”
While welcoming the defector, the acting National Secretary urged him to be focused and join hands with the party to provide dividend of democracy to Bayelsa people.
The President of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), Dotun Oladipo, has expressed regret that social media and online publishing in Nigeria have been dominated by quacks and mischief-makers instead of professional media practitioners.
Dotun Oladipo, who is also the Managing Editor and CEO of Premium Eagle Media Limited, publishers of The Eagle Online, at a Forum convened by the Journalists for Democratic Rights on peace building and conflict prevention held in Lagos, said that despite the huge number of journalists on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram and WhatsApp among others, many of them don’t go beyond “chatting” and making comments on development instead of correcting wrong information and providing accurate news. The GOCOP President, who advised professional journalists to always observe the tenets of the profession by sticking to truth, called on them to keep establishing online news websites and use their Social Media platforms to publish authenticated news and information, especially to counter the wrong and divisive information. He said that with the number of Nigerians accessing information online using their mobile phones and in a country of about 200 million persons, the number of authoritative online news platforms is still too few. Speaking earlier, the Executive Director of JODER, Adewale Adeoye, said that the body was founded in 1996 during the military era, adding that despite the fact that there is no military government in the country anymore, there are still some vestiges or “new curve” of violence, which includes suppressing the media, kidnappings and killings. Adeoye said that it is only the media that can rise up in ensuring that these are adequately reported and if possible put to a conclusive end. Also, the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State chapter, Dr. Quasim Akinreti, enjoined journalists to always be conversant with the environment in which they work, mind their use of words during reporting as well as the image or pictures they employ in reporting the story. He called for more registration among members, stressing that the body is poised to do biometrics for registered members and in due time the NUJ will clampdown on members that are not registered. Akinreti also spoke about student registration, assuring that there are talks about the body engaging with media proprietors to pay staff as and when due. He further lamented that media practitioners could have done better in owning media firms instead of leaving proprietorship of media houses to businessmen. He also said the NUJ is embarking on necessary media investments like establishing a 35 hectares of land for agriculture, a community radio for the NUJ and an E-library to assist reporters in writing their stories. Other resource persons at the training included Kudu Abubakar, Vice President, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum; former News Editor, Vanguard Newspaper and training facilitator, Chris Okechukwy Nderibe; and Director of News, TVC, Babajide Otitoju. The training was organised by JODER with the support of the Institute of International Education and the Ford Foundation, West African Regional Office.
The Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has said that Team Nigeria, which emerged second at the just concluded 2019 African Games in Morocco will soon have a Presidential handshake with President Muhammadu Buhari and possibly, with cash reward.
The minister, who spoke to news men today, September 18, shortly after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said that he had already made representation to the President to host the conquering athletes for representing Nigeria well in the Games held in Morocco.
Team Nigeria came second on the table at the 2019 African Games in Morocco with 127 medals behind Egypt which topped the table with 273 medals.
“There will be a presidential reception; the ministry has written the presidency so that the president can give us a date that is suitable for the medalists from Morocco”.
“We are also going to have D’ Tigress and D’ Tigers; D’ Tigress won the Afro-Basketball title; D’ Tigers also qualified for the Olympics; so, when you look at it; we are African champions when it comes to both female and male basketball”.
“As to whether there will be package attached to the reception, it is at the discretion of the president but we will make recommendations”.
The minister said that the nation’s female and male basketball teams had also creditably acquitted themselves and would also be given presidential reception.
“You recall that in August 16 and 31, the All African Games now called African Games held in Morocco; the African Games is often referred to as the African Olympics where we have African countries showcasing their best.
“Nigeria was present and it ended with Nigeria coming second on medals table right after Egypt; Nigeria had 46 Gold medals, 33 silver medals, 48 bronze medals—a total of 127 medals as against that of Egypt that had 273 medals.’’
He said that Nigeria’s performance in Morocco was rated as one of the best when compared to previous times.
According to him, Nigeria’s recent position is significant because it has seen a resurgence of few other sports that it never had any gold in before.
“We had gymnastics coming back; in canoeing, we won two gold medals; in athletics we had witnessed a bit of doldrums but we came first on the athletics table in Morocco”.
“Interestingly too, this time around, in the past our gold medal table was improved because of the para-athletes; for the first time, we did not have the para-athletes; yet we were able to bring in as many gold medals as possible”.
“The female athletes garnered 74 medals against the male athletes who garnered 50 medals; so the female, this time, contributed more to our medal table. We had a seven-week preparation period for camping for Morocco 2019; the lesson learnt is that if we have had a longer period of preparation, we would have been able to win more medals,’’ he said.
Dare said that Morocco would serve as benchmark as Nigeria prepared for the 2020 Olympics.
He said that Nigerian athletes would be going to Doha, Qatar, on Sept. 21 for the Doha Meet, which was almost the equivalent of the Olympics.
The minister said that with the outcome in Doha, Nigeria could measure its preparedness for the forthcoming Olympics.
The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has insisted that a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), has a case to answer over the Settlement Agreement on Malabu Oil Block (OPL 25).
The EFCC Boss, in a statement through the Head of Media and Publicity of the Commission, Wilson Uwujaren, Adoke has been offering the reading public in the account of his sojourn in governance a bouquet of half-truths and plain lies.
He said that after satisfying his long desire to titillate the public with some tales by moonlight, Adoke should make himself available for trial, stressing that the commission’s investigation has implicated Adoke in the matter of the implementation of the settlement and resolution of agreements on Oil Prospecting License OPL 245 and OPL214.
Ibrahim Magu said that the probe of OPL 245 was not a witch-hunt in any form.
“It is important for the public to know that the investigation of the lucrative Oil Prospecting License 245 Settlement deal, otherwise known as the Malabu Scandal, by EFCC was not an enterprise in witch-hunt or malice.
“The Magu-led leadership of the commission, in consideration of persistent public demand for closer scrutiny of the transaction, coupled with emerging information suggestive of opacity in the consummation of the deal, acted in national interest to determine that overall public good was not sacrificed on the altar of personal interest of those who perfected the deal.
“The investigation had been discreet, with no threat of direct physical harm to Adoke or any other person implicated in the deal.
“The commission’s investigation holds Adoke liable in the matter of the implementation of the settlement and resolution of agreements on Oil Prospecting License OPL 245 and OPL214 between Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd, belonging to former Petroleum Minister, Dan Etete and the federal government of Nigeria in 2010.”
The EFCC boss released the details of the investigations into Malabu Oil Block scandal, saying: “it could be recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had revoked the OPL 245, which the late General Sani Abacha granted to Etete, who was his Petroleum Minister and reassigned it Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company. Etete’s Malabu Oil and Gas, however, reclaimed the oil block in 2006 through the court. While Shell challenged the decision, a fraudulent settlement and resolution was perfected under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government with Shell and Eni buying the oil block from Malabu in the sum of $1.1billion,” he added.
“EFCC’s investigations however revealed crimes, that border on conspiracy, forgery of bank documents, bribery, corruption and money laundering to the tune of over $1.2 billon against Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd, Shell Nigeria Ultra deep (SNUD) Nigeria Agip Exploration (NAE) and their officials. Some of those officials are already facing criminal trials in Switzerland and Italy.
“The investigations further revealed that Etete and others fraudulently received an aggregate sum of US$ 801,540,000 (Eight Hundred Million, Five Hundred and Forty Thousand United States Dollars) from Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company, Nigeria Agip Exploration Ltd and ENI SPA in relation to the oil prospecting license.
“Adoke as the then Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice allegedly abused his office in respect of the granting of the oil prospecting license OPL 245 to Shell and ENI.
“A prima facie case, bordering on official corruption was established by the Commission following the investigations, culminating in court charges against Adoke, Etete and others, which is still pending before the FCT High Court and the Federal High Court.”
He advised Adoke to return home for trial.
“The arraignment of Adoke SAN, Etete and others could not take place because they along with other defendants have remained at large, refusing to make themselves available for trial.
“The former chief law officer of the federation prefers to remain in self-exile, and engage the Commission in needless media war.
“Having now satisfied his long desire to titillate the public with some tales by moonlight in the mould of a semi author-biography, Adoke should now make himself available for trial.
“The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Ibrahim Magu is alarmed by the brazen attempt by former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), to rewrite history and portray himself as victim of persecution regarding the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC’s) investigation of the OPL 245 Settlement Agreement (Malabu).
“In the last few days the Nigerian media has been awash with previews of Adoke’s book, titled: “Burden of Service: Reminiscences of Nigeria’s former Attorney General,” in which he took aim at the EFCC boss as being part of a deadly triumvirate that had been hounding and persecuting him since he left office in 2015. The other two alleged traducers, mentioned by Adoke are the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) and former senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume. Adoke claims that he had been viciously maligned by this threesome to the extent that he contemplated suicide.
“Specifically, he claimed in Chapter 8 of the book, that Magu was recruited by Prof. Osinbajo to hound and persecute him despite, as he claimed, his role in reinstating Magu to the EFCC from the police “where he had been vegetating.”
“Adoke attributes his source of information on the alleged Osinbajo instruction to Magu against him to an unnamed governor from the North West, who according to him, claimed Magu told him that he had the instruction of Osinbajo to “deal with Adoke.”
“Adoke also claims that an unnamed senator also confided in him that Magu nursed a personal grudge against him because he believed that he (Adoke) owned half of the Centenary City in Abuja.
“That Adoke neither named the North-West governor nor the Senator that provided the weighty intelligence on which he took Magu to the guillotine in his book, could only mean one thing: the claims are tissues of lies, contrived to entertain and attract underserved attention to himself.
“The acting Chairman of EFCC Ibrahim Magu categorically states that at no time did the Vice President discuss, counsel, or direct him in any way on any issue concerning Mr. Adoke. It is wicked and evil to make such a false allegation against anybody especially where it is based on hearsay.
“These yarns, being spewed by hirelings of the former AGF are nothing but a marketing gimmick, dubiously orchestrated to wet public appetite and sufficiently stir curiosity ahead of the official release of the book on Monday, September 16, 2019.
“But it is obvious that what Adoke is offering the reading public in the account of his sojourn in governance is nothing but a bouquet of half-truths and plain lies.
“The accounts in Chapters 8 and 9 as it relates to the EFCC and its Chairman, Ibrahim Magu are not only inaccurate but self-serving.
“For the records and emphasis, Magu never received any instructions from the Vice President, neither had he communicated verbally or in writing to any governor from the North-West or senator about such a patently false purported instruction from Osinbajo to “deal with Adoke.”
“The EFCC is not the battle axe of political figures and could not have been called out to deal with anyone. Adoke’s ploy is simple. He wants to create a false narrative that the offenses for which he has been charged are not genuine but are the product of some high level conspiracy against him. But, first of all, there is no discernible reason for such a conspiracy. Secondly, it is an entirely false premise. It is clear that this is symptomatic of a drowning man clutching at straws.
“Adoke ran well outside the track when he said he was instrumental to reinstating Magu, to the EFCC from the police “where he had been vegetating.”
“ The Commission is unaware of Adoke’s role in Magu’s return to the Commission in 2012 after being away for a few years. It is well known that the EFCC Acting Chairman is a pioneer staff of the Commission, with many stripes to his sleeves by way of accomplishments that have no link to Adoke.
“Magu and the EFCC have no interest in any public spat with Adoke who remains a suspect under investigation for criminal offences and against whom a competent court had issued a subsisting warrant for his arrest.
“The said warrant has already been executed by the International Police Organization (INTERPOL) which placed him on its wanted list. The option before Adoke is to return home and answer to his charges.
“It is however gratifying that the former AGF abandoned the idea of committing suicide as taking that route would have amounted to a monumental waste of resources on the part of the EFCC. So much has been spent in diligently investigating the OPL 245 scandal that the Commission needs Adoke to be alive to answer to his charges, and clear his name before the court.
“It makes no sense to deceive the people with claims that he had been exonerated of any wrong doing by the court. As a senior advocate, he should know that a civil suit cannot exonerate one from criminal liability.”
Wife of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Hajiya mariam has lamented the neglect of brilliant and intelligent orphans in Nigeria, especially in the area of education.
Hajiya Mairam, who spoke when she donated clothes to over 100 orphans in Makaranta Malam Kawu in Bauchi metropolis, stressed that there are several brilliant and intelligent children among the orphans but unfortunately some of them are school dropouts due to lack of access to quality education.
Describing orphans and the less privileged children as the voiceless and vulnerable groups in the society, the governor’s wife emphasized the importance of quality education for them so as to ensure that they enjoy brighter future.
Saudi Arabia’s energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman has said that more than half of the country’s daily crude oil production that was knocked out by a weekend attack had been restored and that full production is expected by the end of this month, September.
Prince Abdulaziz said that production capacity would be up to 11 million barrels per day by the end of September.
His briefing to reporters was highly anticipated around the world, with oil prices spiking more than 14% on Monday on the first day of trading after the attacks on Saudi Arabia. It was the biggest single-day jump in years due to the damaging attack. “Where would you find a company in this whole world that went through such a devastating attack and came out like a phoenix?” Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said about the state-owned Saudi Aramco, which was the target of the attacks. The state-run company’s ability to quickly recover from an attack of this magnitude on its most important processing facility highlights not only its resilience, but its importance as the Kingdom’s crown jewel. The attack early Saturday struck a Saudi oil field and the world’s largest crude oil processing plant in the Kingdom’s eastern region, taking out 5.7 million barrels of crude oil production per day for the Kingdom, or about 5% of the world’s daily production. Following reports of how quickly the Kingdom could restore production, oil prices fell on Tuesday. Brent, the international benchmark, was down 6% to $64.89 a barrel. US oil was down 5.4% to $59.50. The attack also took out 2 billion cubic feet of daily gas production. Aramco, the Saudi oil company targeted, said no workers were wounded in the attack. Saudi Arabia invited the UN and other international experts to help investigate, saying the Kingdom is looking for an internationally backed response to the attack. Saudi Arabia also called on the international community “to shoulder its responsibility in condemning the perpetrators” and “clearly confronting” those behind the attack. The Iranian-allied Houthi militias in Yemen claimed responsibility. Saudi Arabia stressed however, that the attack did not come from Yemen and said initial investigations show Iranian weapons were used. The Kingdom, though, has not yet said where the attack was launched from or what kind of weapons were involved. The US has made similar accusations. A US official told Reuters Tuesday that the attack originated from southwestern Iran. Trump declared Monday it “looks” like Iran was behind the attack on the Saudi oil facilities. But he stressed that military retaliation was not yet on the table. The attack was the among the most serious escalations in tensions in the Gulf in recent months. The crisis stems from President Donald Trump’s decision to pull the US out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. He also re-imposed and escalated sanctions on Iran that sent the country’s economy into freefall, including targeting its oil exports.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has nominated 26-year-old Joana Nnazua Kolo to the State House of Assembly for approval as commissioner.
Kolo, currently undergoing the one-year compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Jigawa State, is one of the four women whose names were sent and were read at the Kwara State House of Assembly on Tuesday.
Other women nominated are Sa’adatu Modibbo-Kawu; Arinola Fatimoh Lawal and Aisha Ahman Pategi.
Kolo, the youngest commissioner-nominee in the state’s history, is a 2018 graduate of Library Science from the Kwara State University (KWASU). She is teaching at Model Boarding Junior Secondary School Guri as her NYSC primary assignment.
Her screening for the cabinet seat would hold after she rounds off her NYSC service in the next two weeks.
If confirmed, she would be Nigeria’s youngest commissioner, taking over from 27-year-old Oluwaseun Fakorede, Oyo State’s Commissioner for Youths and Sport.
Senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Vice President Osinbajo’s office, Mr. Laolu Akande has lamented that enemies are now out to plant seeds of discord in the Presidency, while attempting to create unnecessary national hysteria. Laolu Akande, in a statement today, September 17, reacting to what he called “sensational report by The Cable” described such report as misleading.
He said that the report which suggested that agencies under the supervision of the Vice President do not normally comply with established rules where presidential approvals are required was a figment of the imagination of the reporter.
“The agencies in question are established by law and the Vice President has always insisted on due compliance with the enabling statutes and other established regulations. “Depending on the particular scope of activity in question, agencies may require management approval only, at the level of the Director-General or Chief Executive Officer. In this category falls the great majority of their day-to-day activities. “However, other activities, or procurements, with value exceeding a certain threshold, require Board approval. These may get to the agency Board chaired by the Vice President. In a few cases where Presidential approval is required, the Director-General must seek such approval from the President, through the Vice President. These rules have always guided the activities of statutory agencies and the ones under the Vice President’s supervision have always been so guided. “To claim that in the first term of the Buhari administration, agencies of government have not been complying with the provisions (of getting final approvals from the President) is false, and the attempt to suggest the Vice President’s complicity in such irregularities is simply mischievous and reprehensible. “The effective and mutually respecting relationship between the President and the Vice President is well known to Nigerians and it is futile to insinuate otherwise. “Even though the Vice President has a statutory role as Board Chairman of some government agencies under his office, with appropriate approval limits, which often do not include contract approvals; it is ludicrous to even insinuate that a Board Chairman approves contracts. “Evidently, the Federal Executive Council, which oversees Federal Ministries and agencies of government, is chaired by the President, and it is in its purview to approve or ratify award of contracts within the prescribed threshold. “The Vice President remains committed to the service of his fatherland and will continue to do so despite the purveyors of fake news. We urge media organizations, as gatekeepers, to uphold truth, balance, fairness and objectivity in their reports.”
To promote a cashless economy and enhance the collection of applicable government revenues, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced a review of the process for merchant settlement.
A statement today, September 17, by the Director, Payments System Management Department at the apex bank, Sam Okojere, said that with effect from today, September 17, the CBN has approved for banks to unbundle merchant settlement amounts and charge applicable taxes and duties on individual transactions as stipulated by regulations.
The statement also announced a downward review of the Merchant Service Charge (MSC) from 0.75% capped at N1,200 to 0.50% capped at N1,000.
And in a circular to all deposit money bank (DMBs), the apex bank announced the commencement of charges on deposits in addition to already existing charges on withdrawals.
According to the circular, the charges, which take effect from tomorrow, September 18, will attract 3% processing fees for withdrawals and 2% processing fees for lodgments of amounts above N500,000 for individual accounts.
Similarly, corporate accounts will attract 5% processing fees for withdrawals and 3% processing fee for lodgments of amounts above N3,000,000.
The statement, however, disclosed that the charge on deposits shall apply in Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Abia, Anambra, and Rivers States as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
It added that the implementation of the cashless policy would take effect from March 31, 2020.
President Muhammadu Buhari has sent Okoi Obono-Obla packing as he dissolved the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) which he chaired.
A statement by the special adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina said today, September 17 that the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been directed to immediately take over all outstanding investigations and other activities of the SPIP.
The statement said that President Buhari thanked all members of the dissolved panel for their services even as he looked forward to receiving the final Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) report on the ongoing investigations of the dissolved panel’s Chairman.
The panel was established in August 2017 by the then Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo to investigate specifically mandated cases of corruption, abuse of office and similar offences by public officers.
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A member of the Sixth Senate, who represented Bayelsa East Senatorial district between 2007 and 2011 on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange, has quit the party and gave notice of his intention to join the ruling All Progressives Congress the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole through the Acting National Secretary, Victor Giadom.
Wife of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Hajiya mariam has lamented the neglect of brilliant and intelligent orphans in Nigeria, especially in the area of education.
Saudi Arabia’s energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman has said that more than half of the country’s daily crude oil production that was knocked out by a weekend attack had been restored and that full production is expected by the end of this month, September.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has nominated 26-year-old Joana Nnazua Kolo to the State House of Assembly for approval as commissioner.
Senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, Vice President Osinbajo’s office, Mr. Laolu Akande has lamented that enemies are now out to plant seeds of discord in the Presidency, while attempting to create unnecessary national hysteria.
To promote a cashless economy and enhance the collection of applicable government revenues, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced a review of the process for merchant settlement.
