Lol ..see what a lawmaker wore to the National Assembly (photos)

Honorable Omoregie Ogbeide -Ihama who represents Oredo federal constituency turned out in his full traditional attire to the House of Representatives on Tuesday May 3rd. He dressed this way because he had to inform the house of the passing of the Oba of Benin, Omo N'Oba N'Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa. See more photos after the cut...

Former Bauchi Governor Isa Yuguda to refund over N700m spent on security vote - Investigation Committee

Statement released by Abubakar al-Sadique, Press Secretary to Bauchi State Governor, Barrister Mohammed Abubakar on Wednesday, May 4, 2016:

"Former Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State and his former Permanent Secretary, Special Services Alhaji Abdu Ilelah, among others, are to refund various sums of money said to have been spent on security and other matters for which relevant certification are not available.



The two are to refund sum of N716, 892, 500 being the amount claimed to have been spent on security in which all relevant certification and acknowledgements are not available while the former Bauchi State Accountant General under Malam Isa Yuguda Alhaji Adamu Umar Gokaru, former Auditor General; Alhaji Abdu Usman Aliyu and former permanent secretary, Special Duties, Abdu Aliyu Ilelah should be sanctioned for gross misconduct.

These were the recommendation of the committee on the recovery of public property taken without following due process under the chairmanship of retired Air Commando Ahmed Tijjani Baba Gamawa. The committee was set up by Governor Mohammed Abdullahi to investigate the activities of Bauchi State Agency for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, BASOVCA, State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and the State Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs from May 2007 and May 2015.




According to the chairman, the committee discovered that due process was not followed in the award of contracts at the State Universal Basic Education Board where a N110, 126, 373. 64 was released for the payment of October, 2015 teachers’ salaries and the Board utilised only the sum of N109, 351, 476.71 in paying 3,216 newly recruited teachers but could not account for the balance of N774, 897.47.

The committee alleged that N858m loan was fraudulently taken by SUBEB from Sterling Bank Nigeria Plc to fund projects already counter-funded by the State Government in 2012 while the contractor that handled the contract of the E-Library project awarded by the SUBEB in the Institute of Education, who was the Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Aminu Mohammed Ibrahim, Kangere had not executed the project fully. “The contractor failed to supply and install the Integrated Science Laboratory equipment for which he was paid the sum of N4million at the same Institute”, the chairman said.

“The accrued interest of N79million from the fixed deposit account in Sterling Bank Nigeria Plc should be jointly refunded to the State Government by the former Chairman of SUBEB, Alhaji Abdullahi Dabo and the former Chief Accountant of the Board, Alhaji Kabiru Malami Sidi” while all signatories of SUBEB accounts be made to refund the “illegal loan collected from Sterling Bank PLC as well as the associated charges amounting to N933, 604, 619.57”, the committee also recommended.

The committee also recommended that the Chief Accountant Local Education Authority Accounts at the Board, Alhaji Mohammad Alhaji should be made to account for N774, 897, 47 being balance of N110, 126, 373.64 released to the Board for the payment of October, 2015 salaries.

The committee recommended that the sum of $475, 000 US Dollars (over one hundred million Naira) be recovered from Global Mega Education and Annabel Consultants being unjustified mortgage commitments in California USA paid by the State Government, while EXTACO ALUMINIUM Nigeria Ltd was received N20.4million as advance payment for the installation of Terrazo in 29 blocks of 3 Classrooms, an Office and a store, but the contractor paid the “sum of N15 million into the account of RAPS Reliable Ventures; a company owned by Engineer Ibrahim M. Danfulani, the Chief Engineer of SUBEB out of the said amount as bribe”.

Other findings of the committee include the payment of NATA/Supervision allowances to tune the tune of N132, 361, 698.65 which were not retired by the beneficiaries, the committee therefore recommended that the beneficiaries of NATA/Supervision allowances of N132, 361,698.65 should also be made to account for the money indicated against their names in the report respectively.

In the Ministry for Local government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the committee revealed that the Ministry received the sum of N348, 571,141,755.78 as revenue from the Federation Account from April 2007 to May, 2015 and expended only N272, 743,173,889.86 but lamented that the Ministry could “not account for the balance of N75, 827, 949, 721.92 just as the Ministry could not account for the sum of N6, 193, 659, 776.32 it received between 2012 and 2014 in respect of SUREP.

Similarly, the Ministry according to the committee, purchased, on behalf of the 20 LGA’s 277,134,152 Unit of Shares in Intercellular Nigeria Plc, cumulative Shares worth 885,514,081.08 in Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, N44, 000,000.00 worth of Shares in African independent Television (AIT) and 10, 814.22 units of shares at Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited but failed to provide relevant documents including evidence of accrued dividend.

The committee said a former Commissioner of the Ministry, Hajiya Talatu Mohammed Barwa, secured the approval of the former Governor for the sum of N2, 191, 248, 744.71 to provide infrastructural facilities in Health, Education and Security across the 20 Local Government Areas in the State which was not implemented.

The committee recommended that constitution of a Committee comprising of professionals to reconcile the accounts (JAAC, Sure-P & Projects Accounts) of the Ministry for Local Government Affairs in order to ensure accountability and transparency, while the former Commissioner in the Ministry, Hajiya Talatu Mohammed Barwa, be made to account for the sum of N2, 191, 248, 744.71 being amount released for the provision of infrastructural facilities in the 20 Local Government Areas which was not implemented.
The committee observed that the Central Bank of Nigeria released a loan of N2 billion to Bauchi State Government through the Agency for Sustainable Microfinance for disbursement to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the State but the past administration disbursed only 500 million to the beneficiaries and fraudulently diverted N1.5 Billion to purportedly finance security needs between February and April 2015, however, details of such expenditure were not made available. It recommends undertaking a forensic audit of all accounts of the State for the period covering 2007 to May 2015 in order to ascertain the extent of misappropriation and to serve as future deterrent.

Another important area where sterling revelations were made is the Bauchi State Agency for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, BASOVCA, where the sum of N785, 486, 085.95 was received and expended as at 31st August, 2015, but similarly without necessary supporting documents attached to the payment vouchers presented to the Committee involving huge sum of money that were withdrawn in cash from the Banks for purchases.

The committee recommended that all the questionable expenditures amounting to N488, 554, 172.00 be refunded to the Government by the affected persons.

Receiving the report, Governor Mohammed Abubakar who lamented the colossal amount said to have been spent on security while State was never at war, promised to give all those indicted by the committee the opportunity to clear their names because of his belief in the rule of law. He assured that due process will be followed to recover all resources illegally taken from government.

In the meantime, the report will be tabled before the state executive council after which a white paper will be issued enunciating government’s position on it."

GEJ pays tribute to his boss, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, whose death anniversary holds today

Former President Jonathan took to his facebook wall to pay tribute to his former boss, former President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua who died on May 5th 2010, exactly six years today. He was Nigeria's President from May 2007 till May 5th 2010 when he died after a brief illness. May his soul rest in peace Amen.

Buhari is too old to rule this country, he is like my grandfather- Fayose

Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose, yesterday said President Buhari is too old to rule Nigeria and that he is like his grandfather. Fayose said this while speaking on the topic: “Journalism and Politics; two sides of a coin,” at the World Press Freedom Day organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, held at the Dapo Aderogba hall, Iyaganku, Ibadan yesterday May 3rd.

“President Buhari is too old to rule this country and that is why there is problem in this country now. He is like my grandfather. Nigeria should not produce any president that is over 60 years.

"World democracy don’t parade octogenarians again. Young people should rise up to challenge the older generation. Maybe that is why there is a law that a pilot should not fly an aircraft after 65 years of age,” he said.

Fayose at the meeting called on journalist to be fierce and sincere in their reports.

" You are the last hope of common man. When journalists support looters, there is confusion of vision. Journalists should shy away from it. Bad politicians should be brought to justice. Don’t write about issues you don’t know. Don’t rely on what a politician told you of his supposed enemy and don’t inherit his enemies. Journalists must help bring corrupt politicians to justice. When politicians are going wrong, let them feel the heat first from you. Most politicians are using journalists in Nigeria for their dirty jobs and they are supporting wicked politicians. Journalists in Nigeria always shy away from the truth because they are self-centred and greedy. As a journalist, you need to discharge your duty without fear or favour. Politicians have no address and this is why it is possible for a politician to defect from PDP after 12 years to APC and is being celebrated as a saint. Journalists should stop supporting and having soft spots for political parties and politicians. Some of you have sympathy for PDP or APC. Don’t join our battle. You are the hope of the common man and the only thing they can enjoy,” he said.

Nigerians gather round Jonathan Outside 805 Restaurant in London

Former President Jonathan who went on an outing with his son Ariwera, and his daughter, Aruabai, to 805, a Nigerian restaurant in London, was surrounded by Nigerians. Below are pictures of the former President in London.

Tinubu May Emerge As APC Board of Trustees chairman

To further placate the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, most forces in the party may have decided to influence his emergence as the chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of the party, Saturday Vanguard gathered yesterday.

The party is due for the constitution of its BoT on June 20, 2015 following the rectification of the process by the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, last week.

Tinubu who is a big brain behind the formation of APC by the four defunct political parties- Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, All Nigerian People’s Party, ANPP, and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA- now known as legacy parties, apparently lost out in the power game when his candidates for the Senate Presidency and the Speakership of the House of Representatives were defeated at the National Assembly leadership election.

Speaking in confidence to Saturday Vanguard in Abuja, a party source revealed that the odds favour Tinubu even though a former Vice President, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku is said to be angling for the portfolio.

“He is not likely to contest the position with anyone else. Many people want him for the office”, the source said.

But even with this, it was also learnt that many people may not be comfortable with Tinubu occupying the office.

They fear that he may use the office to attack most members of the NWC among whom are the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Barrister Yakubu Dogara whose relationship with him has gone awry following the National Assembly leadership election.

Source: Vanguard

We Will Rule Lagos For 35 More Years – APC

APC Publicity Secretary for Lagos state chapter, Mr Joe Igbokwe
told Eniola Akinkuotu of Punch newspaper in a recent interview that
the party will rule Lagos for 35 more years.

Read more on the interview below!
The Peoples Democratic Party has described as fraudulent, the court
ruling which reaffirmed Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s victory at
the poll. Is it true that your party bribed the judiciary?
Did the PDP have any evidence to present before the tribunal in the
first place? Are they saying they won the election? Are they
newcomers in Lagos? Were they even on the ground in the first
place? Yes, they worked hard to win Lagos with the Subsidy
Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme fraud which they used
in manipulating unemployed youths. Money was extorted from the
youths and they are worse off today. We saw the PDP using an
outlawed organisation like the Oodua People’s Congress, among
others. We saw them tearing our posters and damaging billboards. We
saw their contestants in Alimosho and Agege brandishing guns and
shooting. This was their hard work.
We saw the money that former President Goodluck Jonathan
brought to Lagos when he relocated here briefly before the elections.

He gave out dollars and pounds. So, these were the things they did to
win Lagos. Politics goes beyond this. Lagos PDP thought Jonathan
would win and after winning, they would use soldiers and the police
to intimidate us and chase us out but when Jonathan lost, even my
kinsmen, who were supporting the PDP before, started running to
Bourdillon (Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s home). So, the PDP is not
being truthful. If Jonathan had won that election, the OPC would
have taken over. God, in his infinite mercies, helped us.
Now, the
PDP has lost Abuja and has also lost Lagos and that is why they are
throwing tantrums.
We in the Lagos APC are even angry that the PDP came so close
to defeating us in the last election but we will never allow this again.

We will rule them for the next 30 to 35 years because the people of
Lagos will be impressed with our hard work.
The PDP says Governor Ambode has already started going after its
supporters, especially the traders in Ladipo Auto Spare Parts
Market.
That is not true. Ambode is a Christian and he does not have that kind
of character. He never demolished the market. We in the Igbo
Conscience Group will hold a meeting with the traders and the
Chairman of the Mushin Local Government Council. It is a local
government matter and the traders had had an agreement with the
local government to rebuild the market. Agreements were made and a
Memorandum of Understanding was signed and the traders had been
given ample notice. The market needs a facelift because it is an
eyesore. Apart from the warehouses inside the market, there are
wooden structures outside the market. Is that the kind of place where
you want your customers from Europe to visit? The government
wants the market to conform to the megacity project. So, the
government did not illegally demolish anything.
When we went to the market to campaign, they threw water sachets
at us and that market belongs to the government. That market is
originally meant to be a health centre and if the government wanted to
follow the law to the letter, it would demolish the entire market and
make it a health centre but we do not repay evil with evil. There is no
plan to make life difficult for the people because they did not vote for
us. So, I urge my people in the market to stop playing politics with
this matter. This is a megacity and the market must conform to the
required standard.
Over a month after his inauguration, Ambode has not appointed
commissioners and the PDP has accused him of being slow.

Many governors across the federation have not appointed
commissioners. Even the President has not appointed ministers. So,
why the rush when we have permanent secretaries that can sustain
government ministries? Commissioners are just political heads. They
don’t sign cheques. They only meet with the governor for briefings and
act as a link between the ministries and the governor. Ambode is
energetic and experienced. He has been everywhere. So, whoever
says he is not working is just being economical with the truth. The
PDP has never ruled Lagos before and that is why they don’t
understand it.

The APC had said that if Lagos and the Federal Government were
controlled by the same party, there would be unprecedented change.
Now that there is a crisis in the party due to the National Assembly
issue, will the party be able to deliver on its numerous promises in
Lagos?
Problems are part of life. What happens in everyday business depends
on what you do in the morning. Would you expect the PDP to go
down without a fight? We knew that the PDP would try to pull us
down. But we will overcome what is happening at the National
Assembly.

How can a member of the APC sell out his party for the
Senate Presidency? How could he collude with our enemies? Of
course, we will not allow him get away with such shenanigans? We
will not allow it to stand. So, we believe it is right that we get things
right from the outset. So, we are trying to deal with this challenge.

Once Senator Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu are out, we
will be able to get things running and Lagos will definitely benefit from
the Federal Government. It is good for Lagos to be aligned with the
centre because it needs special attention. It is the place where 80 per
cent of tertiary institution graduates from across the country come to

APC reacts to PDP's call for Fashola's administration to be probed

The Lagos state chapter of APC has reacted to the call by PDP
members in the state asking the incumbent governor, Akinwunmi
Ambode to probe the administration of former governor, Babatunde
Fashola.

APC reacted in a statement released by the Lagos State
Publicity Secretary of the APC, Joe Igbokwe today June 24th.

The statement in part reads
“Lagos PDP has lost it and is in a journey of self derision and
ridicule. APC is not surprised that Lagos PDP continues to
demonstrate traits that show it as a jesting group that has no
meaningful thing to contribute to the growth and progress of Lagos.
We would have thought that Lagos PDP would, for once, be moved
by moral imperatives to demand that President Muhammadu Buhari
probe and punish the perpetrators of what is becoming the most
horrifying economic crime done to Nigeria by the PDP mandarins
especially in the past 16 years.


They are not, rather they are asking Governor Ambode to ‘probe’ the
poster regime for productive and accountable governance in this
republic. What a party? We want to let the lost and confused
parodists in Lagos PDP know that Governor Ambode has hit the
ground running just because he has a rich template of productive
governance to continue with,” the party said.

FEC Approves Full Implementation Of Confab Report

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the final report of the National conference for full implementation.

Briefing State House Correspondents after the council meeting the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Anyim Pius Anyim, said that council’s decision follows the recommendation by a committee President Goodluck Jonathan set up, which concluded that the report is implementable.
According to Mr Anyim, this is the first leg of the Jonathan administration’s concrete steps in the implementation of the recommendations and resolutions of the conference.
He said the recommendations and resolutions that have implications for constitutional amendment should be transmitted to the National Assembly for enactment into law, while resolutions on policy matters by federal and state agencies or local governments which require action should be transmitted to the appropriate quarters for immediate implementation and all that requires action by state governments should be referred to the states for immediate implementation.
FEC said the National Assembly should work with the state assemblies in bringing the implementation to effect.
Also approved are contracts for the construction of the Oshegbodo-Oweto Road in Benue State at the cost of N7.9 billion to de-congest traffic on the Abuja-Lokoja Expressway, the Ningi-Fuskamanta Road in Bauchi State at the cost of N7.1 billion and the dualization of the Suleja-Minna Road in Niger State at the sum of N23.6 billion.
The Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen, said the roads will help improve transportation in Nigeria and oil the wheels of the economy of the states.
The FEC also approved the procurement and distribution of tricycles by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) for the Benue North-West Senatorial District at the sum of N472.5 million to alleviate transportation challenges.
Council also approved the construction of corporate head offices for the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) in Lagos and Abuja. While the construction of the Abuja complex will cost N14.7 billion, the Lagos office building will cost N24.7 billion.
Council approved that Nigeria should now serve as headquarters of the West African Telecommunications Regulators Assembly having been an active leader in the telecoms business in West Africa.
 

Nemtsov murder: Zaur Dadayev confession 'forced'

Zaur Dadayev was arrested on Saturday, about a week after Boris Nemtsov was shot dead

One of men charged with the murder of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov confessed under duress, a member of Russia's human rights council says.

Wounds on Zaur Dadayev's body suggested he had been tortured, Andrei Babushkin said after visiting the suspect in prison on Tuesday.
Officials say the visit should have been to check confinement conditions only and have warned of interference.
Mr Nemtsov was killed on 27 February.
Mr Dadayev and Anzor Gubashev, who both come from Chechnya, were charged on Sunday with his killing. Three other men, including Mr Gubashev's brother Shagid, are being held in connection with the case.
After visiting the suspects in prison, Mr Babushkin said there were "reasons to believe Zaur Dadayev confessed under torture".

 

 

 Andrei Babushkin visited the suspects as part of a prison monitoring commission

He said Mr Dadayev had shown him marks from handcuffs and ropes around his legs, and told him he had been tortured with electricity.
He called for "people not involved in the investigation" to look into the claim.
'Interference' Russia's investigative committee said Mr Babushkin and a journalist accompanying him had been allowed to visit the prison to inspect the conditions the suspects were being held under.
But they went beyond their remit by inquiring about the criminal case, which violated "not only the established norms, but the law," a statement said.
Both Mr Babushkin and journalist Eva Merkacheva would be questioned by investigators, the committee said.
Mr Babushkin, a member of Russia's advisory human rights council, said that during the visit Mr Dadayev had showed him multiple injuries he had sustained after his capture in Ingushetia on Saturday.
Mr Dadayev, a former policeman, said he had only confessed to make sure a friend who was arrested with him would be released.
He had planned to tell a court hearing on Sunday the truth, Mr Babushkin said, but was not given a chance to speak.

 

 

 Shagid Gubashev (c) is one of three men being held the murder but have not yet been charged

Meanwhile, Shagid Gubashev, who continues to maintain his innocence, told the prison visitors he was in Chechnya when he learned that his cousin, Mr Dadayev, had been detained in the neighbouring Russian republic of Ingushetia.
He said he and his brother immediately travelled there and were detained as soon as they arrived. It would not have made sense for them to go to Ingushetia if they were connected to the crime, he added.
He said he and his brother were beaten and had bags pulled over their heads, which were only taken off after arriving in Moscow.
Anzor Gubashev said he had "no complaints" about the way he had been treated.
Death threats Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed reports on Wednesday that President Putin had been told who organised Mr Nemtsov's killing, and top Russian officials had seen a "hit list" of other potential targets.
Mr Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister and veteran liberal politician, was shot dead while walking with his girlfriend near the Kremlin.
Russian investigators have yet to cite a motive for his killing.
Last year, Mr Nemtsov contacted the Russian authorities after receiving death threats on his Facebook page.
In his request for an investigation, a copy of which has now been published (in Russian) by The New Times magazine, he linked the threats to his position with the conflict in Ukraine.
Police turned down his request in September.

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Mr Nemtsov called for "honest elections" hours before he was killed

A friend of Mr Nemtsov, Ilya Ponomarev, who is a member of the Russian Duma, told the BBC on Wednesday he believed the government was behind the killing and that the detained men were "scapegoats".
Chechnya's leader Ramzan Kadyrov has claimed that as a devout Muslim, Mr Dadayev was angry at those who defended the depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Mr Nemtsov had condemned the murder of 12 people at the magazine's office by Islamist militants, but those close to him say he was not a prominent critic of radical Islamism and focused his criticism on President Putin.