Federal civil servants allege anomalies in promotion exams

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The Nation) - Senior civil servants have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the “injustice” perpetrated by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (HCSF) and the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) over their promotion examinations.

The senior civil servants, who are professionals in the accountant pool, accused the Head of Service’s office and the Civil Service Commission of manipulating service rules to demoralise long-serving and dedicated civil servants.

The aggrieved civil servants cited the last promotion examination held in Abuja last September for officers on directorate cadre as capable of derailing the civil service.

They alleged that the anomalies witnessed in the examination were unprecedented.

A civil service source, who spoke on behalf of those affected and pleaded not to be named, regretted that they were made to work in vain.

The source said: “The most affected officers were those on Grade Levels 14 and 15 that took the examination for the next grade level.

“In our opinion, Mr. President must act fast on this. About 189 officers sat for the examination for Assistant Directors’ Level. Over 200 sat for Deputy Directors’ examination.

“These officers were made to work hard for the examination, but it was like the authorities just played a trick on us.

“I say this because after an examination, it is incumbent on those that sat for it to know the result. But that was never the case in our own situation. We did not see our results; so we don’t know who passed or failed. There was no list we can refer to and that was against the rules.

“More demoralising is the fact that of about 189 that sat for the Assistant Director examination, only nine were promoted. Does that mean that the rest failed?”

The source added: “I think non-release of the result was to create room for manipulation because for accountants, 38 Assistant Director vacancies were declared by the Office of the Accountant General (OAGF) last year.

“So, the question is: what happened to the 31 vacancies left since only nine were promoted to the position of Assistant Director?

“The case of over 200 Assistant Directors that sat for the Deputy Directors’ examination was even worse.

“After the examination that also had no result list, the unfortunate senior civil servants were told there were no vacancies to fill. So, no promotion.

“Is there anything more demoralising and frustrating more than that?

“Again, the question is: why was the examination conducted and those concerned made to suffer, waste energy, time and resources at the risk of their lives?”

Among other demands, she said the aggrieved workers must be availed the results of the examinations as well as declaration of available vacancies before future examination.

“In addition, we want President Buhari to address this obnoxious issue of direct employment into directorate cadre.

“It should be discouraged and if not, it should be subjected to strict guidelines because as it is presently, there is nothing more demoralising than this direct appointment of people into the directorate cadre,” the source said.

The source added that failure to address the issue would be followed by an invitation to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and court action.

The FCSC, however, exonerated itself, denying any form of complicity in the said promotion examinations.

At a news conference last week, Chairman, Sub Committee on Promotion, FCSC Prof. Aminu Diyo Sheidu said the process leading to the examination involved other bodies and security agencies.

He said: “When all scores for each candidate were already added together, candidates in each cadre were ranked in their order of performance. Ranking was done using relevant computer software. But the accuracy was checked and rechecked over and over again by the commissioners with the active participation of the security personnel.

“Based on the vacancies approved by the OHCSF for each cadre, the best candidates were selected for promotion.

“I am sure you will agree with me that our Directorate Levels Promotion Examination processes and procedures are quite rigorous and painstaking. These procedures are measures adopted in self-regulations to ensure the integrity and transparency of the entire exercise.

“As you are all aware, a critical condition for promotion of an officer is the availability of vacancy. The FCSC has no control over the number of vacancies declared. The OHCSF does. The FCSC shall continuously strive to improve on the promotion processes and procedures. It will also work harmoniously with the OHCSF to improve vacancy availability.”

OYEYEMI HARPS ON ENFORCEMENT AT THE LAGOS TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SUMMIT

The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Boboye Oyeyemi has spoken strongly in favour of aggressive enforcement of traffic rules through diligent application of sanctions instead of engaging in an unending enlightenment programmes that could be taken for entertainment by traffic violators. Oyeyemi stated this while presenting a paper at the Traffic Management and Transportation Summit organised by the Lagos state government at the Civic Centre Victoria Island, Lagos.

 

In his presentation which was based on the theme of the summit, “Tackling current evolving and future traffic management needs of Lagos state,” the Corps Marshal described as a waste of time, any effort at creating public enlightenment on issues of obedience to traffic rules and regulations without commensurate aggressive enforcement through diligent application of sanctions, saying people could take monotonous enlightenment programmes for entertainment. He therefore called on relevant stakeholders to work together to ensure compliance with traffic rules and regulations by motorists.

Oyeyemi further noted that as a nation with the largest road network in Africa and second largest in the South of Sahara, Nigeria’s federal road network carries about 70 percent of freights in the country, with Lagos harbouring the largest concentration of the freights. “The road transportation accounts for about 90 percent of national transport needs,” he stated.

 

According to him, human population in Lagos was 9,113,605 by 2006 National Census, but currently being estimated to be about 21 million, pointing out that with the vehicular population of about 2 million, Lagos remains the most economically attractive state in the country due to its location and enviable position for shipment and haulage services.

 

“Lagos is the destination of choice for many foreign visitors and investors,” he stated.

“This preference has translated to increased motorisation and business transactions which often impede on existing transportation infrastructure.” he further stated.

 

Speaking on the relative stability achieved in the rate of tanker crashes in the country following FRSC’s interventions after the first fatal crash that occurred on 31st May, 2015 in Anambra state, Oyeyemi stated that with the deployment of FRSC officials to the depots and tank farms across the country under the “safe to load” scheme, a total of 10,782 trucks have so far been checked, out of which 4,211 were found not to have met the minimum safety standards, adding that 3,472 of the drivers were found with expired driver’s licence.

 

The Corps Marshal commended the Lagos sate government for establishing 5 coordinated driver institutes in the state, describing the policy as exemplary, and called for its sustenance to accomplish the intended purpose. While applauding the state Governor, Akinwumi Ambode for his untiring efforts to resolve the perennial Lagos traffic, Oyeyemi assured the state of sustained collaboration of the FRSC in the collective determination to make the state attractive to investors and tourists through efficient traffic management.

 

On the way forward for the Lagos traffic snarl, Oyeyemi called for road user education, approval for the Nigeria Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) by the Federal Executive Council which he urges the state to immediately commence its implementation; exposure of traffic managers to modern traffic systems and best practice and the need for Lagos state traffic management authorities to collaborate with the FRSC to promote regular interfacing and independent review of policies.

 

“Lagos state government should increase the capacity of the current mass transit scheme, to serve as disincentive to private vehicle usage in the state,” he stated.

 

“The state should also empower traffic management/enforcement agencies to operate 24 hours and the state government should strengthen the enforcement collaboration of Lagos VIO, LASTMA and the FRSC.

 

“Lagos state is to create dedicated lanes for non-motorised transport and encourage the use of bicycles to cover short distances,” Oyeyemi submitted.

The Summit which was declared open by the Governor of Lagos state, Akiwunmi Ambode attracted paper presentations from different transport experts, academia and transport operators and drew participation from different stakeholders.

“.

Chairman INEC, Mr. Paul Arkwright, Nat.Comms'and Delegations from British High Commission in a grp photograph

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu also presented a plaque to Mr. Paul Arkwright of British High  Commission .

CBN: Three banks fail capital adequacy test

(The Nation) -

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has given three commercial banks until June 2016 to recapitalise after they failed to meet the minimum Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 10 per cent.

The CBN explained at the weekend, that 14 banks have licenses to operate as regional and national lenders with respective capital bases of N10 billion ($50 million) and N25 billion, three of which were asked to raise fresh funds.

The Liquidity Stress Test was conducted by the CBN, which indicated that the capital position of ‘three small banks’ has fallen below regulatory capital requirement.

The test, contained on the CBN’s Financial Stability Report showed the Capital Adequacy Ratios (CARs) of the affected banks were below five per cent regulatory threshold. The three banks are not among the domestic systemically important banks (D-SIBs), it said.

The report, which measured the lenders’ positions as at June this year, showed that the number of banks with CAR less than five per cent, also increased from zero to three from December 31, 2014 to June 30, 2015. The CAR is a ratio of a bank’s assets to its risks

According to CBN’s Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Kelvin Amugo, the liquidity stress test was conducted, using the Implied Cash Flow Analysis (ICFA) and the Maturity Mismatch/Rollover Risk approaches to assess the resilience of the banking industry to liquidity and funding shocks.

He said the ICFA approach assessed the ability of the banking system to withstand unanticipated substantial withdrawal of deposits, as well as short-term wholesale and long-term funding over a five-day and cumulative 30-day periods, with specific assumptions on the fire sale of assets.

The report said liquidity ratio (LR) of the Nigerian banking industry decreased by 6.5 percentage points to 39.3 per cent from the 45.8 per cent December, 2014 position.

The decline in the LR position was driven mainly by the large and medium banks with 6.5 and 7.4 percentage points decrease respectively from their December 2014 LR position to 36.9 per cent and 45.5 per cent respectively. This decline may be traced to the sustained tight monetary policy stance of the CBN.

The test results revealed that the industry liquidity ratio declined to 9.30 and 6.10 per cent, from 39.3 per cent baseline position after the five-day and cumulative 30-day shocks, respectively. The result of the stress tests indicated potential vulnerability to liquidity risk in the event that these scenarios crystallized.

“Overall, there was an improvement in the baseline CAR of the Nigerian banking industry at end-June 2014 compared to the December 2014 position. The baseline CAR rose by 0.23 percentage point over the December 2014 position to 17.38 per cent at end-June 2015. This was driven mainly by improvements in the baseline CAR of the large banks which rose by 1.03 percentage points over their December 2014 position to 18.56 per cent at end-June 2015,” the report said.

“Equally, the number of banks with CAR greater than the 15 per cent prudential hurdle rate for international banks increased from 13 at end-December 2014 to 16 at end-June 2015. However, the number of banks with CAR less than five per cent also increased from zero to three over the period,” he said.

Top 23 Most Expensive Secondary Schools In Nigeria With Mind Blowing Fees

23- Regent School Maitama N1.35 Million Abuja

22- Bloombreed High School N1.5 Million Port Harcourt

21- Lead British International School N1.5 Million Abuja

20- Norwegian International School N1,843,750Million Port Harcourt

19- Nigerian Turkish International College N1.6 Million Abuja

18- Greenoak International School N1.9 Million Port Harcourt

17- International Community School N1.9 Million Abuja

16- Charles Dale Memorial International School N2,040,000 Million Port Harcourt

15- Dowen College, N2Million Lagos

14- Chrisland College N2Million Lagos

13- Atlantic Hall N2.27 Million Lagos

12- Corona Secondary School N2.55 Million Agbara Ogun State

11- Hillcrest School N2.65 Million Jos

10- Loyola Jesuit N2.8 Million Abuja

9- Meadow Hall N3 Million Lagos

8- Greenspring School N3.185 Million Lagos

7- Whiteplains British School N3.6 Million Abuja

6- Day Waterman College N3.7 Million Abeokuta

5- Lekki British International High School N4 Million Lagos

4- American International School N4.3 Million Abuja

3- British International School N4.48 Million Lagos



2- Grange High School N4.5 Million Lagos

1- American International School N5.5 Million Lagos

PRESIDENT BUHARI RECEIVES INTERIM REPORT OF INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE ON ARMS PROCUREMENT, ORDERS ARREST OF INDICTED PERSONS

On the authority of Mr President, a 13 man committee was set up by the Office of the National Security Adviser to audit the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence sector from 2007 to date.

While the committee, which was inaugurated on 31 August 2015, is yet to complete its work, its interim report has

unearthed several illicit and fraudulent financial transactions.

As part of the findings, the committee has analyzed interventions from some organizations that provided funds to the Office of the National Security Adviser, Defence Headquarters, Army Headquarters Naval Headquarters and Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, both in local and foreign currencies.

So far the total extra budgetary interventions articulated by the committee is Six Hundred and Forty Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Seventeen Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty Five Hundred Naira and Eighteen Kobo (N643, 817,955,885.18).

The foreign currency component is to the tune of Two Billion, One Hundred and Ninety Three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifteen Thousand US Dollars and Eighty Three Cents ($2,193,815,000.83).
These amounts exclude grants from the State Governments and funds collected by the DSS and Police. It was observed that in spite of this huge financial intervention, very little was expended to support defense procurement.

The committee also observed that of 513 contracts awarded at $8,356,525,184.32; N2, 189,265,724,404.55 and €54,000.00; Fifty Three (53) were failed contracts amounting to $2,378,939,066.27 and N13, 729,342,329.87 respectively.

Interestingly, it was noted that the amount of foreign currency spent on failed contracts was more than double the $1bn loan that the National Assembly approved for borrowing to fight the insurgency in the North East.

The committee also discovered that payments to the tune of Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N3, 850,000,000.00) were made to a single company by the former NSA without documented evidence of contractual agreements or fulfilment of tax obligations to the FGN.

Further findings revealed that between March 2012 and March 2015, the erstwhile NSA, Lt Col MS Dasuki (rtd) awarded fictitious and phantom contracts to the tune of N2, 219,188,609.50, $1,671,742,613.58 and €9,905,477.00. The contracts which were said to be for the purchase of 4 Alpha Jets, 12 helicopters, bombs and ammunition were not executed and the equipment were never supplied to the Nigerian Air Force, neither are they in its inventory.

Even more disturbing was the discovery that out of these figures, 2 companies, were awarded contracts to the tune of N350, 000,000.00, $1,661,670,469.71 and €9,905,477.00 alone. This was without prejudice to the consistent non-performance of the companies in the previous contracts awarded.

Additionally, it was discovered that the former NSA directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to transfer the sum of $132,050,486.97 and €9,905,473.55 to the accounts of Societe D’equipmente Internationaux in West Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America for un-ascertained purposes, without any contract documents to explain the transactions.

The findings made so far are extremely worrying considering that the interventions were granted within the same period that our troops fighting the insurgency in the North East were in desperate need of platforms, military equipment and ammunition. Had the funds siphoned to these non performing companies been properly used for the purpose they were meant for, thousands of needless Nigerian deaths would have been avoided.

Furthermore, the ridicule Nigeria has faced in the international community would have been avoided. It is worrisome and disappointing that those entrusted with the security of this great nation were busy using proxies to siphon the national treasury, while innocent lives were wasted daily.

In light of these findings, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that the relevant organizations arrest and bring to book, all individuals who have been found complicit in these illegal and fraudulent acts.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publi[truncated by WhatsApp]

Buhari Has Made More Mistakes Than Jonathan in Ministerial Portfolios

(Jaafar Jaafar) - Despite his being dilatory, mistaken by supporters as meticulousness, I must say that I didn’t see round pegs being put into round holes in many of the ministries, just as I see President Buhari “repeating mistakes of the past”.

Among those lined up for ministerial screening at the Senate in October, if there is a man I was proud of his becoming minister in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet was Adamu Adamu – being a senior professional colleague and very fine writer in whom I draw inspiration.

I have shared my love for him on many occasions. But in saying the truth, I fail to see sense in elevating Adamu Adamu, a trained accountant, above a professor of Education as minister in charge of the Ministry of Education.

Much as former President Goodluck Jonathan loved Barrister Nyosom Wike, he made him Minister of State for Education, below Professor Rukayyatu Ahmed Rufai – a professor of Education. That was fair. Even after sacking Professor Rufai, Jonathan still did not place Wike above Malam Ibrahim Shekarau in the ministry.

Peeping through Adamu Adamu’s junior minister, Professor Anwuka’s CV, I found this dazzling pedigree: “He did his doctorate degree programme in General Curriculum, System Analysis and Social Studies at the University of Washington Seattle, USA in 1977. Prior to this, he did his Masters in Educational Administration and Planning at the University of Portland, Oregon, USA in 1975. At Fourah Bay, University of Serra Leone, (1974), he studied English Language and Literature and had Second Class (Hons) degree, Upper Division. Professor Anwuka had in August 2001, participated at the Commonwealth Vice-Chancellors Leadership Conference, Dundee Scotland UK.”

According to his CV, “Professor Anthony Anwuka has worked as a Teaching Assistant, University of Washington, Seattle 1976-1977, Curriculum Resource Person/Instructor, Specialist Seattle Opportunities Industrialisation Centre (SOIC) 1977- 1978; Senior Lecturer, University of Maiduguri, 1983-1985; Reader, University of Maiduguri, 1986 1998; Curriculum Resource Person/Consultant, Nigerian National Teachers Institute, (NTI), Kaduna, 1983 -1986.

“He acquired the prestigious rank of Professor of Education from former Imo State University, now Abia State University Uturu, 1989 –1993. He was one time Dean, Faculty of Education, Imo State University Owerri, 1993 – 1994 and also the Vice Chancellor of the University for 5-yrs.”

I think producing Adamu Adamu’s CV here may not paint a good comparison. What I can simply say here is that Adamu is simply an Accountant and a journalist per excellence. Of this, I dare say elevating Adamu above this professor is archetypal of forcing a square peg into a round hole.

I think President Buhari so far made some mistakes in cabinet appointments more than those of Jonathan. If I recall clearly, one of the issues that put Jonathan at loggerheads with some governors was appointing technocrats in favour of politicians nominated by governors. Quite rightly, Buhari has done a similar thing, though with even less technocratic texture in terms of his placements.

Kayode Fayemi would have been the “round peg in a round hole” if he was posted to Ministry of Labour, just as James Ocholi or Babatunde Raji Fashola would have fit into the round hole of the Ministry of Justice. Let me reiterate here that Fashola and Ocholi are more experienced SANs than Malami.

While swearing in the ministers yesterday, which is unarguably the seminal point of this administration in the last six months, President Buhari harped on two key issues “putting round pegs in round holes” and “avoiding the mistakes of the past”.

“We are optimistic that bringing these set of ministers into the service of our country today, is a step in the right direction and timely move towards realising our positive goals for our country.

“Since we assumed office in May, I had been mindful of the need to ensure that the appointment of new ministers translate into a ROUND PEGS IN ROUND HOLES while showing sensitivity to our diversity as a people and our various positions as groups of stakeholders of our country. (Emphasis added).

“I have also been conscious of the need not to repeat such MISTAKES OF THE PAST where the right people were allocated the wrong portfolios which translated into their performing poorly to our collective detriment despite their obvious capability (emphasis added),” President Buhari said.

Despite his being dilatory, mistaken by supporters as meticulousness, I must say that I didn’t see round pegs being put into round holes in many of the ministries, just as I see President Buhari “repeating mistakes of the past”.

The merging of Ministries of Power and Works and Housing, in my view, may cause some operational glitch as they have very little correlation. It is like adding ewudu soup onto pizza, if you are “forced” to combine the two in one plate. They are all edible but there may be some strains while relating to them in your gut. Buhari should have left Ministry of Works independent of Ministry of Power, and then merged Ministry of Information and Ministry of Communication as obtained in the past to level the tally of the ministries he intended to have.

The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing may be in dire straits as Fashola, a lawyer will be assisted by Baba Shehuri, a sociologist, as Minister of State. Technical issues regarding power/energy, design and construction needs an engineer. Jigawa nominee, Engineer Sulaiman Adamu, would have fit either as the main minister or minister of state if actually putting round pegs in round holes matters. The corollary of this decision is inefficient service delivery.

Udoma Udo Udoma, being from Niger Delta would have made a good minister of Environment. He would have handled better the issues of Ogoni cleanup in Rivers State or oil spillage in Bayelsa State or gully erosion in Anambra State.

But Baba, in his wisdom, thought otherwise. He believes Amina Mohammed, an aficionado in planning and connoisseur of development issues, could handle such issues better and speak the language and communicate well with pipeline vandals in the creek and the fiery environment right activists of the Niger Delta region.

Well, to me Amina would have roundly fit into the Ministry of Planning and Budget hole, in view of her experience in development and planning issues at both local and international levels. Nigeria would have had a magnet that will attract UN’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the country.

Again, Buhari should have appointed Heineken Lokpobiri from Bayelsa State to be Amina Mohammed’s deputy in the ministry, not Ibrahim Usman Jibril from Nasarawa State.

If really there is a minister that fits into the Ministry of FCT hole, it is Usman Jibril, being a distinguished land administrator and expert in “orthophoto mapping, geographic information service and urban planning and urban renewal”.

Kayode Fayemi’s posting is another misapplication of peg. President Buhari should have thanked God that among the people he considered for ministerial appointment, there was a labour unionist, who could speak the unionists’ language and be respected among the labour leaders. Buhari, in his queer wisdom, thought Chris Ngige could do better.

The shoes of Ministry of Interior may pinch General Abdulrahman Dambazau a bit as that of the Ministry of Defense may have suited him comfortably. As someone who had a distinguished career in the military and reached its pinnacle, taking him to deal with paramilitary issues is, in my view, not the best decision. Even issues of Boko Haram terrorism, Dambazau will speak and negotiate issues of arm purchase and military aid with the West better than Dan’Ali.

However, the president did not state where Culture and Tourism is merged into, as Solomon Dalong’s portfolio only indicates Ministry of Youths and Sports. I believe this will be sorted out later.

Some ministers like Kemi Adesun, Audu Ogbeh, Lai Mohammed, Zainab Ahmed and a few others really fit into the hole they have been placed, while majority of others were only forced into holes for political expediencies or other reasons best known to the president.

By and large, with a sense of sincerity, Buhari’s allocation of portfolios to his ministers may be what the Hausa term as “gamin gambiza” or what the Yoruba call “orisirisi” or what the Igbo call “nwonwo” – all outside the culinary semantics.

ICC Lists 8 Possible War Crimes Against Nigerian Military, Boko Haram

(Sahara Reporters)

- The International Criminal Court, ICC, believes crimes against humanity and possible war crimes have been committed by the Nigerian military and the extremist sect, Boko Haram, in the last six years of the terror group’s brutal insurgency in Nigeria’s North East region.

A Preliminary Examination Report on Nigeria released on Thursday by the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor identified eight possible cases of crimes against humanity and war crimes under Ariticle 7 and 8 of its statute, perpetrated by both the militants and the Nigerian military.

Six of the possible cases were perpetrated by Boko Haram while two were by the Nigerian military, ICC said.

The report stated that Boko Haram’s policy of indiscriminate attacks on civilians considered to be “disbelievers” constituted the first instance of crime against humanity.

“This case includes attacks conducted against civilians when taking control of towns and villages as well as bomb attacks launched against civilians in civilian areas,” the report said.

“From January 2013 to March 2015, 356 reported incidents of killings can be attributed to Boko Haram in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Plateau, Kano, the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja), Gombe, Kaduna, Bauchi in Nigeria as well as occasionally in Cameroon (since February 2013) and Niger (Dumba and Diffa, since January 2015) which led to the killing of over 8,000 civilians.

“Following military operations since February 2015 during which territory previously held by Boko Haram was recaptured, mass graves or other sites with decomposed bodies were discovered allegedly containing the bodies of civilians killed by Boko Haram,” it adds.

The report stated that the ICC recorded 55 incidents of abductions committed by the Islamist sect between January 2014 and March 2015, involving at least 1,885 abductees mostly from Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States.

The report also added that in 2014 alone 1,123 people were abducted 536 of them being female victims.

“Boko Haram reportedly also detained thousands of civilians in its camps and in towns under its control in Borno state and other undetermined areas in the north-east of Nigeria, including in the Sambisa forest, around Lake Chad, and near the Gorsi mountains in Cameroon. For example, in Bama town, hundreds of men were reportedly held by Boko Haram in the town’s prison for several weeks before being executed,” the report added.

The third instance of crime against humanity identified in the report was Boko Haram’s propensity of attacking schools and other educational buildings as well as attacks on students and teachers.

“School buildings were allegedly bombed, attacked with firearms and/or burned down by Boko Haram. Boko Haram allegedly targeted primarily state schools pursuant to a policy that such schools are the main conduits through which western values are being transmitted to the local society. From mid-2013, Boko Haram attacks on schools, on schoolchildren and teachers increased significantly,” the report stated.

“Between January 2012 and October 2013, 70 teachers and more than 100 schoolchildren and students were reportedly killed or wounded. In May 2014, Nigeria Union of Teachers reported that at least 173 teachers had been killed between 2009 and 2014, Borno State officials have cited a slightly higher figure of 176 teachers. At least 50 schools were either burned down or badly damaged and 60 more were forced to close. In March 2014, the Borno State government decided to close all secondary schools in the state in order to protect students and teachers from further attacks.

“In addition, as a result of direct threats from Boko Haram, 120 schools were forced to close in 10 districts of the Far North of Cameroon. Boko Haram was included as a new party on the list of the Secretary General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict (2014) for attacks against schools among other alleged conduct.”

Boko Haram’s policy of recruiting child soldiers constituted another instance of the sect’s alleged commission of war crime and crime against humanity, the ICC stated.

“While there is no information available on the total number of child soldiers, the UN reported the recruitment and use of children as young as 12 years old by Boko Haram. Several witnesses reported that they saw children in the ranks of Boko Haram during attacks. Boko Haram reportedly pressured boys to join their group by threatening their families through cash payments. Others may be recruited through Quranic schools.

“Most of the children are allegedly used for intelligence gathering, tracking the movements of enemy forces, transportation of weapons and for participating in the attacks including for the torching of buildings dedicated to education and religion. In propaganda videos attributed to Boko Haram, child soldiers can be seen being trained to use firearms.”

The sect’s attacks on girls and women formed the basis of Boko Haram fifth potential case of crime against humanity, the report stated.

According to the ICC, the increasing attacks on female subjects were for punitive reasons such as attendance of school and for reasons such as cooking, cleaning and other operational reasons.

The report observed that the abduction of 276 girls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State on 14 April 2014 was the most notorious example of this crime.

It further observed that the increasing use of women and girls as suicide bombers represents an escalation of this crime.

The report said Boko Haram attacks on places of worship constituted the sect’s sixth commission of war crime.

“The intentional targeting of buildings dedicated to religion, including churches and mosques constitutes a sixth potential case against Boko Haram. According to the Office’s analysis, the number of destructions of civilian buildings, including churches and mosques, gradually increased since January 2014 and peaked between November 2014 and March 2015,” the report stated.

On crimes allegedly committed Nigerian security forces, the ICC said the first instance is the indiscriminate arrest, detention, torture and extrajudicial killings of people suspected to be Boko Haram fighters and collaborators.

“During such arrest operations boys and men were reportedly arbitrarily targeted and arrested by Nigerian Security Forces. Since 2011, Nigerian Security Forces have reportedly arrested at least 20,000 people, mostly young men in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States. Altogether, more than 7,000 people reportedly died in military detention since March 2011 due to illness, poor condition and overcrowding of detention facilities, torture, ill-treatment and extrajudicial executions.”

The second instance of crimes committed by the military is its attack of civilian population as well as the recruitment of child soldiers by pro-government militia called the Civilian JTF.

“Attacks against civilians form the subject of a second potential case against the Nigerian Security Forces. In the town of Baga, Borno State, up to 228 persons may have been killed following a security operation on 17 April 2013. 55 Human Rights Watch published geospatial images of the area affected, alleging that at least 2,275 dwellings were destroyed in the attack.

“Finally, although the central government prohibits the recruitment and use of child soldiers, it is reported that the Civilian Joint Task Force recruited and used children, sometimes by force. Further information on these allegations is however required,” the report added.

The ICC report corroborates reports from other notable human rights organisations such as Human Right Watch and Amnesty International, which have denounced the abuses perpetrated by Boko Haram and Nigerian security forces in the war in the country’s North East.

Fani-Kayode: The carnage in Paris and the great paradox

By Femi Fani-Kayode

In the light of the horrendous events that took place in Paris last night I believe that it is time to eliminate and exterminate every single Jihadist terrorist on the face of the earth. We must show them no mercy and we must hold no quarter.
We must also acknowledge the fact that America and her European allies made many mistakes in their handling of the war against terror.

Simon Kolawole: All eyes on Buhari’s ministers

 

 

inS

By Simon Kolawole
In June 2003 when President Olusegun Obasanjo wanted to appoint Professor Eyitayo Lambo his minister of health, he faced opposition, even from his inner circle. Lambo is an economist, not a medical doctor, and by conventional wisdom and practice in Nigeria, it is a doctor that should be health minister. Boxed, as it were, into a corner, Obasanjo decided to explain his dilemma to Lambo, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from the University of Ibadan and the University of Rochester, US, and a PhD in operational research applied to health systems from the University of Lancaster, UK. I will now paraphrase their conversation.
“Tayo,” Obasanjo said. “People say you are not a doctor, that you should not be health minister.”
Lambo, who had a good relationship with Obasanjo, responded: “Mr. President, it is ultimately your decision. If you want a minister of health who will be treating patients, diagnosing ailments and performing surgeries, I think you should go for a medical doctor. But if you are thinking of the administration of the health sector so that you can deliver healthcare effectively, you don’t necessarily need a doctor to do that.”

“She is lying”: Emir Sanusi goes after Diezani and Goodluck Jonathan

(Scoop) - Yesterday’s exclusive interview by The Boss Newspaper featuring former Petroleum Resources Minister, Mrs. Diezani Allison Madueke, her first since she fell out of power, is already attracting a rebuttal-and it is from no less a person than former CBN Governor and Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.
In the said interview, Mrs. Alison Madueke who is now battling cancer, explained that she did her job to the best of her abilities and intentions, and no money was stolen by her.
She categorically denied that any money was missing under her watch especially the much publicised $20billion, which Sanusi as CBN governor had told the country had developed legs and disappeared from the country’s coffers.
But Sanusi has said Diezani is not telling the truth, that in deed she knows that monies running into billions of dollars were missing from her Ministry.
“The question that remains for Diezani to answer is: Was there $6bn said to have been remitted to NPDC which they denied? As for that denial, who is holding that money? What happened to the inflated N6 per litre kerosene subsidy?
Where is the money said to be paid to that effect? All these questions formed the basis upon which I was suspended and denied the AfDB job,” he stated.

He reminded the former minister that what he did was neither a personal war nor was it targeted at anybody. He declared that if anybody feels affected by the revelation, he or she should come forward and clear their name.
“Certainly, there is nothing personal. It is our nation’s money we are talking about. One cannot take away the treasury and expect to go scot-free. He must answer the basic questions. Everyone is aware that I was punished by former President Jonathan for exposing the missing $20bn.”
The Emir said he was denied Nigeria’s backing for the AfDB job because of the $20bn allegation adding that it was on record that a week after he exposed the matter, Jonathan wrote a letter withdrawing his nomination as Nigeria’s candidate and replaced him with then Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina.

Nigeria's Economic Crimes Commission Chair Magu Assumes Office Pledges To Uplift The Fight Against Corruption

(Sahara Reporters) - The acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, today charged all staff of the Commission to brace up for fresh and greater challenges in the arduous task of combating corruption.

He gave the charge at the formal handover ceremony held at the EFCC headquarters, Abuja, which saw him, take over from him Ibrahim Lamorde, as chairman of the agency.

Asserting his readiness to succeed in running the EFCC, Magu, who like Lamorde is a pioneer staff of the agency, expressed absolute commitment to executing the war against corruption.

While paying tribute to the founding fathers of the agency, he said, “I want to state our resolve not to falter on the well-established tradition of patriotism, dedication, courage and fearlessness, and we will take this responsibility with utmost seriousness that it deserves.”

He promised to “ginger up the anti-corruption campaign”, noting that there was no better time to do so than now.

Corruption, according to Magu, cannot co-exist with any meaningful development, as such, must be fought to a standstill.

“There is the need to make sure that whatever is gotten for common use did not end up in private pockets,” he said, stressing that fighting corruption to a standstill will make the country attractive to foreign investors.

Magu also pledged to be a listening leader and one that will be responsive to staff welfare and development.

He said, “I am ready and willing to work with everybody without any primordial concerns.”

Noted as a no-nonsense investigator, Magu said, “While we will intensify on our work out there, we will also keep an eye internally, and will not tolerate indiscipline nor condone abuse of office or acts of corruption.

Magu commended Lamorde for his leadership and wished him the best in his future endeavors. He also commended the management of the agency for having worked assiduously to ensure the sustenance of the objectives of establishing the EFCC.

On his part, Lamorde, charged staff of the agency to be patriotic and desist from mudslinging.

“As a human being, you have the right to disagree with someone, but if you disagree with your leader approach him yourself, instead of going out there to grumble,” he said.

According to him, those who engage in such actions are apparently oblivious of the far-reaching impact of their actions, which goes beyond the Commission and the individual.

Describing Magu as a “brother, colleague and friend”, Lamorde urged members of staff to give the new EFCC boss all the support that is needed to move the anti-graft agency forward.

“He needs all the support and encouragement he can get, and he should not be distracted with unnecessary write-ups,” he said.

Waxing a bit religious, Lamorde described his exit as “an act of God”, saying, “if you see it like that you won’t blame anybody, and you will have peace of mind. Let’s take whatever happens as an act of God.”

The handover ceremony was witnessed by the Secretary to the Commission, Emmanuel Adegboyega Aremo, as well as directors and heads of units of the EFCC.

 

10 Benefits to Drinking Warm Lemon Water Every Morning

Something that has been very important for my body during this 7-Day Spring Cleanse, but has also been a part of my daily routine for a few months now, is drinking warm lemon water. I have started (almost) every day with a glass of warm lemon water and it has made a huge differences for me. Warm lemon water in the morning helps kickstart the digestion process for the day.  According to Ayurvedic philosophy, choices that you make regarding your daily routine either build up resistance to disease or tear it down. Ayurveda invites us to get a jump-start on the day by focusing on morning rituals that work to align the body with nature’s rhythms, balance the doshas and foster self-esteem alongside self-discipline.

There are many health benefits of lemons that have been known for centuries. The two biggest are lemons’ strong antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting powers and their use as a weight loss aid because lemon juice is a digestive aid and liver cleanser. Lemons contain many substances–notably citric acid, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, bioflavonoids, pectin, and limonene–that promote immunity and fight infection.

10 Ways to Detoxify Your Body

 

Body cleanse and detox diet tips for beginners

 

Feeling sluggish or out of sync? Struggling with skin problems, aches and pains, or digestive problems? Can't seem to lose weight? It might be time for a body detox.
Practiced for centuries by cultures around the world — including ayurvedic and Chinese medicine systems — detoxification is about resting, cleaning and nourishing the body from the inside out. By removing and eliminating toxins, then feeding your body with healthy nutrients, detoxifying can help protect you from disease and renew your ability to maintain optimum health.

How does detoxification work?

Basically, detoxification means cleaning the blood. This is done by removing impurities from the blood in the liver, where toxins are processed for elimination. The body also eliminates toxins through the kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymph and skin. However, when this system is compromised, impurities aren't properly filtered and every cell in the body is adversely affected.

A detox program can help the body's natural cleansing process by:
1. Resting the organs through fasting;
2. Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the body;
3. Promoting elimination through the intestines, kidneys and skin;
4. Improving circulation of the blood; and
5. Refueling the body with healthy nutrients.

PRESIDENT BUHARI APPROVES APPOINTMENT OF NEW FEDERAL PERMANENT SECRETARIES AND DEPLOYMENT OF PERMANENT SECRETARIES

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of the following as Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Civil Service:

1. Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba
2. Alhaji Mahmoud Isa-Dutse
3. Mr. Taiwo Abidogun
4. Dr. Bukar Hassan
5. Mrs. Wakama Belema Asifieka
6. Mr. Jalal Ahmad Arabi
7. Mr. Sabiu Zakari
8. Mrs. Obiageli Phyllis Nwokedi
9. Mr. Aminu Nabegu
10. Mr. Bamgbose Olukunle Oladele
11. Mr. Alo Williams Nwankwo
12. Dr. Shehu Ahmed
13. Mr. Ogbonnaya Innocent Kalu
14. Mrs. Nuratu Jimoh Batagarawa
15. Mr. Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa
16. Mr. Bassey Apkanyung
17. Mr. Louis Edozien
18. Dr. Ugo Roy
President Buhari has also approved the deployment of Federal Permanent Secretaries as follows:
1. Dr. Shehu Ahmad - Fed. Min. of Agric & Rural Development
2. Arch Sunday Echono - Fed. Min. of Communications
3. Alh. Sabiu Zakari - Fed. Min. of Transportation
4. Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba - Fed. Min. of Information & Culture
5. Amb. Danjuma Sheni - Fed. Min. of Defence
6. Dr. Shade Yemi-Esan - Fed. Min. of Education
7. Mrs. Fatima Mede - Budget & National Planning
8. Alh. Mahmoud Isa Dutse - Fed. Min. of Finance
9. Amb. Bulus Lolo - Fed. Min of Foreign Affairs
10. Dr. Amina Shamaki - Fed. Min. of Health
11. Mr. Aliyu Bisalla -Fed. Min. of Industry, Trade & Investment
12. Mr. Bassey Akpanyung - Fed. Min. of Internal Affairs
13. Mr. Taiwo Abidogun - Fed. Ministry of Justice
14. Dr. Habiba Lawal - Fed. Min. of Science & Tech.
15. Dr. Clement Illoh - Fed. Min. of Labour & Productivity
16. Dr. Jamila Shu'ara - Fed. Min of Petroleum Resources
17. Mrs. Binta Bello - Fed. Min of Women Affairs
18. Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye - Federal Capital Territory
19. Mrs. Rabi Jimeta - Fed. Min. of Water Resources
20. Dr. Bukar Hassan - Fed. Min of Environment
21. Mrs. Wakama B. Asifieka - Fed. Min. of Niger Delta Affairs
22. Mr. Istifanus Fuktur - Fed. Min. of Solid Minerals
23. Mr. Christian Ohaa - Fed. Min of Youth & Sports
24. Engr. A.G. Magaji - Fed. Min. of Works & Housing
25. Mr. Louis Edozien - Fed. Min. of Power
26. Mr. Jalal Arabi - State House
27. Mr. Mohammed Bukar - General Services Office, OSGF
28. Mr. Abbas Mohammed - Ecological Fund Office, OSGF
29. Dr. Ugo Roy - Council Secretariat
30. Mr. Aminu Nabegu - Special Services Office, OSGF
31. Amb. Bamgbose Akindele - Political Affairs Office, OSGF
32. Mr. Alo Williams Nwankwo - Economic Affairs Office, OSGF
33. Mrs. Obiageli Nwokedi - Special Duties Office, OSGF
34. Mr. Innocent Ogbonnaya -Career Management Office, OHCSF
35. Mr. S.K.Y. Adelakun - Common Services Office, OHCSF
36. Mrs. N. Batagarawa - Service Policy & Strategies Office, OHCSF
The new appointments and deployments are with effect from today, November 10, 2015.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
November 10, 2015

Breaking: Magu replaces Lamorde as EFCC boss

(Vanguard) - Chairman of the anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, has been replaced by Ibrahim Magu, a top level official of the Economic and Governance Unit of the EFCC.

Ibrahim-Lamorde

Lamorde, has been the EFCC chair since 2011.

Magu is remembered as a no-nonsense investigator of the commission at its inception.

He was removed along with several other key officials by Farida Waziri when she became chairman in 2008.

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets are World U17 Champions

(Premium Times) - The Nigeria U17 team, the Golden Eaglets, have successfully defended their FIFA U17 World Cup title after recording a 2-0 victory over their West African foes, Mali, in the early hours of Monday.

After a largely even first half contest in which Nigeria missed a penalty inside the first four minutes, Golden Eaglets gangling striker, Victor Osimhen, broke the deadlock in the 56th minute; and three minutes later Nigeria were two goals up as Funsho Bamgboye increased the tally.

The sumptuous goal by Osimhen was his 10th goal of the tournament which makes him the record holder of the most goals scored by an individual at one single FIFA U17 World Cup tournament.

The Golden Eaglets before the Mali clash had recorded good results at the Estadio Sausalito in Vina del Mar where they crushed Chile 5-1 in their second group phase match, annihilated Australia 6-0 in the second round, and battered Brazil 3-0 in the quarter final.

The venue proved a lucky ground as Nigeria triumphed over Mali albeit after early scares.
The successful defence recorded by Nigeria makes them only the second country after Brazil to record back-to-back wins in the cadet World Cup.

Before this latest addition to their accolades, the Golden Eaglets’ previous four titles came when they defeated then West Germany, 2-0, in the inaugural final in Beijing in 1985; overran West African rivals, Ghana, 2-1 in 1993 in Tokyo, Japan; outshot Mexico on penalties in Seoul in 2007 and thrashed Mexico 3-0 in the last Championship match in Abu Dhabi.

The victorious Eaglets will be hoping for a warm embrace from President Buhari who was in charge when Nigeria won the first edition of FIFA U16 World Cup in China.

It was the then General that christened the U17 team, Golden Eaglets.

Nigeria's Buhari to swear in ministers on Wednesday

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari is to swear in members of his cabinet on Wednesday, a presidency statement said on Sunday, ending a five-month wait for a cabinet to be installed in Africa's most populace nation.

The 72-year-old former military ruler, who was inaugurated in late May, has been criticised for waiting until September to name his ministers, who then underwent a month-long Senate vetting process. Portfolios will be assigned after ministers have been sworn in.

"President Muhammadu Buhari will officially inaugurate a new Federal Executive Council on Wednesday, November 11, 2015," said the emailed statement from Buhari's spokesman Femi Adesina.

"Before the commencement of the inaugural session of the council, the ministers-designate will take their oaths of office in the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa," it said, adding that this would begin at 10 am local time (0900 GMT).

Nigeria, Africa's biggest economy and the continent's top oil producer, faces its worst economic crisis in years brought on by the sharp fall in crude prices since it relies on oil exports for 70 percent of government revenue.

Critics of Buhari, who won March elections after campaigning to rid Nigeria of widespread corruption, said the absence of a ministers created a policy vacuum that exacerbated the economic problems brought on by the fall in oil prices.

Buhari took his 36 ministers on a retreat on Thursday and Friday during which they were handed documents, seen by Reuters, which outlined the state of the economy and the government's policy goals.

OPENING REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI AT THE PRESIDENTIAL RETREAT WITH HONOURABLE MINISTERS-DESIGNATE,STATE HOUSE CONFERENCE HALL,

NOVEMBER 5, 2015

PROTOCOLS

It is with great pleasure that I address you today, my Ministers-designate, at this Retreat in preparation for your swearing–in as the Cabinet that will run this Administration. We must count ourselves privileged to have been chosen among millions of our compatriots at this historic time to be the instruments that will deliver the change we have promised.

2. Let me congratulate you for your success at the various levels of screening that culminated in your confirmation by the Senate.
I would like to reiterate the point I made at my inauguration about the uniqueness of this moment for our country and for us. Shakespeare’s words ring true for us as they did when he first wrote them centuries ago.

‘There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which taken at the flood leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.’

3. The work of restoration and renewal is urgent and immense. The expectations of Nigerians are high. Our determination to succeed and change the fortunes of our country must be equal to the challenge.

4. I have invited you to join me in this urgent mission for our country. I am convinced that in accepting this invitation you are also equally determined to take part in this patriotic undertaking.

5. This Retreat, therefore, marks your first official contact with the machinery of Government, of which you will soon be an integral part. It is important that you are fully acquainted with the direction and priorities of this Government so that we can all move together as a team.

6. My election as President of this country was hinged on my promise to tackle corruption, insecurity and revive the economy.

7. We have already taken deliberate measures to plug leakages of government revenue and resources. You all know the steps we have taken to tackle Boko Haram. We have degraded them and in desperation, they are resorting to attacks on soft targets, killing innocent people. Diversification of the economy away from oil will be a major focus of this government. We will intervene in mining and agriculture and upgrade the country’s physical and social infrastructure, which will broaden our revenue base and significantly improve the level of employment, especially among the youth. Our economic focus will be policies that will ensure inclusive growth and we will count our achievements based on the number of Nigerians we move out of poverty.

8. The objective of this retreat is clearly reflected in the choice of topics which you will be dealing with during the sessions. The need for observing the rule of law is being emphasized to ensure that impunity is removed from government conduct.

9. You are coming on board the ship of governance at an interesting time. So much has been said about the state of our economy. It is expected that we make the running of Government at all levels as lean as possible, avoid waste and conserve resources. As Ministers, you must be the vehicle that will administer the change.

10. Our main task is to turn our manifesto promises to practice and results. Over the next two days I expect you to have a better understanding of the context in which we have taken the challenge of serving our country, as well as the strategies we have adopted to tackle them. I would also expect you to be even more determined to work as a team, and to live up to the high standards of probity and integrity which Nigerians expect of us.

11. Before I close, let me remind you that clear and effective communication at all levels is vital in modern management. You must keep in touch with your fellow ministers and share information, so that the conduct of government will be more efficient. In addition, all communication and appointments from you to the Presidency should be routed through the Office of the Chief of Staff as is normal in this Presidential System.

I wish you useful deliberations.

President Muhammadu Buhari
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria

DSS reacts to reports of its agents raiding ex NSA, Dasuki's Abuja residence

Press statement from the Department of State Security

1. The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been brought to the report making rounds that its operatives illegally blocked the residence of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki (Col/Rtd), in violation of a subsisting court order granting him a relief to travel oversea for medical services. This is to say the least that such report is not only unfounded and malicious but aimed at tarnishing the good image of the Service. 

2. It may be recalled that SAMBO was initially arrested and charged to court for unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering, for which reason his international passport was seized and on the order of the court, returned to the registrar for custody. What has however brought the seeming standoff between SAMBO and the Service, despite the court-ordered release of his international passport on 4th November, 2015, is his refusal to appear before a Committee undertaking the investigation of an entirely different case.  

3. The public may wish to note that the government set up the Committee to investigate procurement processes relating to a two billion dollar ($2billion) arms transaction by the last administration, under which SAMBO was the NSA. It was on this premise that he was invited by the Committee to shed more light on his involvement in the deal. It, therefore, remains surprising and shocking that SAMBO has refused to honour invitations of the Committee but instead resorts to grandstanding and subtle blackmail of the Service. His refusal to appear before the Committee has left the Service with no option than to adopt legal means to ensure his attendance. 

4. Therefore, without doubt, SAMBO is pulling all strings available to him to evade justice and put the Service in bad light. The simple fact is that the DSS is not persecuting him. Nigerians are therefore enjoined to disregard the impression being created by him. This Service wishes to re-emphasise its commitment to the rule of law and strict adherence to democratic ideals. However, any person or group, no matter how highly placed, that may wish to test the will of the present democratic dispensation, will definitely be checked through the legal provisions of the law.

Tony OPUIYO
Department of State Services,
Abuja.
5th November, 2015

Several killed in Edo bank robbery

Several persons including policemen were killed during a bank robbery at Igarra, headquarters of Akoko-Edo local government area of Edo State, on Wednesday.

A security guard at the bank was killed at the operation which eyewitnesses said lasted one hour.

The robbery operation was said to have begun at about 6:00am shortly after the state’s Police Commissioner, Chris Ezike, left Auchi which is about 30 minutes drive from Igarra.

An eyewitness told our correspondent on phone that the robbers killed a guard and started shooting people after ransacking the bank and attacking policemen at the police station.

He said many persons are receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in the area.

Another witness said the robbers were heavily armed and engaged the police in a shoot-out.

The Nation gathered that policemen who took cover in the bush came out when an armoured personnel carrier was brought to the robbery scene.

Local vigilante groups reportedly joined in the shoot-out and blocked all routes to Igarra town which made the robbers to abandon the vehicles used for the operation.

When contacted, Edo Police spokesman, Stanley Osifo, said he was on his way to the crime scene alongside the police commissioner.

The Nation

Breaking News: Tribunal upholds Ikpeazu as winner of Abia gov poll

The Abia State Governorship Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, the Abia state capital, on Tuesday, upheld Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, who was candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the April 11 Governorship election in the State as winner of the election.

The tribunal dismissed the petition of candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Alex Otti.

More details later

Emefiele: Nigeria's External Reserves Now $31.89 Billion

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, wednesday revealed that the country’s external reserves had risen to $31.89 billion as at July 7, 2015.

Emefiele attributed this to strong efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to plug all leakages, as well as the vigilant demand management of the central bank. He said the development was very gratifying.

The CBN governor disclosed this in his opening remarks at the briefing of the Senate President and the Leadership of the Senate on the Nigerian economy in Abuja.

According to him, recent measures by the central bank would help reposition the economy for the next phase of growth and development.

Emefiele listed these measures to include among others, the further tightening of monetary policy; closure of the official foreign exchange window; review of operators’ Net Open Position (NOP); placement of 72-hour limit on FX utilisation; and ban on selected items from access to foreign exchange in either the interbank or BDC markets.

“These policies have led to a significant stabilisation in the exchange rate and an improvement in market sentiments. Having earlier traded at as high as N206/$1, the naira-dollar exchange rate has appreciated and remained around N197/$1 in the interbank market in the past five months.

“Going forward, the CBN would continue to be vigilant in the market to ensure that there is zero tolerance for speculators. Nigeria’s foreign reserves remain our common wealth and we must all strive to work together to protect it and prevent speculators and rent seekers from plundering it. We would continue to find ways to rebuild our external reserves and where possible, accelerate efforts aimed at improving aggregate supply potentials of the economy,” he added.

He noted that the global economy had experienced three major shocks in the last one year. These developments he listed to include: the significant and seemingly permanent fall in the price of crude oil, Nigeria’s main revenue earner; the end of the Quantitative Easing Programme of the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States; and the continued US-led sanctions on Russia for its alleged role in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

“Reflecting the sharp fall in oil prices and speculative foreign exchange activities, external reserves declined from $37.3 billion in June 2014 to $29.1 billion as at the end of June 2015. Given our understanding that the fall in oil prices may not be transitory but permanent, and that some speculative activities were going on in the forex market, the CBN took a number of proactive countervailing actions,” he explained.

Continuing, the CBN boss said: “At the heart of the issues that currently confront our nation is the need for us to diversify the structure of our economy from being import dependent to being an economy that produces what she consumes. According to one of Africa’s foremost industrialist, our very own Alhaji Aliko Dangote, we must stop exporting jobs to other countries and importing poverty to our land by producing and consuming locally made goods.

“As we speak today, hundreds of thousands of locally produced paddy rice litter Nigeria’s rice belts unsold. Our rice farmers are today sinking deeper into poverty due to our preference for imported rice even though the local ones are now of about the same or even better quality. We therefore seize this opportunity to appeal to our rice importers to support local farmers by patronising our home grown rice.

“It is now time for us work together to resuscitate our moribund textile industries, begin to grow and consume our rice, and rejuvenate our abandoned palm plantations in the mid and south eastern parts of the country and a host of other industries that once helped in creating job opportunities for our people.”

He pointed out that the central bank had been at the forefront, acting as a catalyst to job creation and inclusive growth since 1978 through its various interventions in various/targeted sectors of the economy, pledging that the institution would remain committed to the course because it believes it is the right direction that will help in conserving the reserves, achieve a stable exchange rate and create jobs.

Thisdaylive

'Mr President, your statements are demarketing Nigeria' - PDP

Press statement from the PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) draws the attention of Nigerians to the harmful consequences of the unabated negative statements from the very father of the nation, President Muhammadu Buhari, on the economy and the general image of the country.

The party said “it is worrisome that in the last six months, the President, instead of making efforts to harness resources and grow the economy, has rather continued to apply himself, perhaps unwittingly, to demarketing the nation and scaring away investors through negative labeling of Nigerians and unwarranted unhealthy portrayal of the nation’s economy”.

The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh on Sunday said the President’s unwary statements have become very serious clog in the wheel of progress, eroding the confidence of both domestic and international investors in the Nigerian economic and social system.

“In the last six months, our President has only succeeded in discouraging foreign investors with his continued misrepresentation of our country as a business unfriendly environment, where most of the citizens are basically corrupt, dishonest, and cannot be trusted.

“Whereas we have restated our total support for the war against corruption, we insist that Mr. President’s unceasing blanket negative labeling of citizens, in a country where millions of honest and hardworking individuals/firms are genuinely contributing daily to the development effort, is indeed a disservice and injurious to the nation and the people.

“Furthermore, Mr. President’s recent announcement to the world that the nation, with its abundant human and natural resources, is broke and cannot pay cabinet ministers not only sends a discouraging signal to the domestic and international business community, but also exposes the ineptitude of the present administration to meaningfully and sincerely exert itself and work with industrious and innovative investors to create and manage wealth.

“We ask; how can any reasonable investor still have the confidence to invest in a country where the President himself continues to alert that his country reeks of corrupt people and that the government is broke to the extent it cannot pay cabinet ministers?

“Is the President not directly advising investors against having confidence in Nigeria and the system, and that they risk not being paid for jobs awarded by government at any level?

“More worrisome is the fact that Mr. President most times, makes his damaging comments in international fora with potential investors in attendance to the extent that reminds one of the proverbial father who, in the presence of potential suitors, often portrays his daughters as wayward and yet constantly complain of their inability to find husbands.

“Indeed, this is not the way to go, Nigeria is a country blessed with abundant human and natural resources. What we need at the moment is a serious, innovative and practical approach with the capacity to harness the resources and create wealth for the benefit of all, instead of an apparently laidback scapegoat tactics with outworn excuses and unhelpful comments.

“May we remind Mr. President that even in the darkest period of our economic challenges, successive administrations made efforts in steadying the economy, while always reassuring our citizens and the international community of the strength and economic potentials of our great nation.

“We know that in the desperation to cover its apparent lack of economic plan, this administration has positioned cabinet ministers, upon inauguration to concentrate on diversionary blame game on the past PDP administration. But even this political deceit cannot combat the unpalatable consequences of Mr. President’s damaging utterances on the image of the nation and its economy.

Finally, we wish to remind the President and those around him that Nigerians, by the 2015 elections, have committed the fate of the country in his hands for the next four years and are not willing to accept excuses for any economic failures under his watch.

Signed:

Chief Olisa Metuh
National Publicity Secretary

South East roads needs urgent attention – Osinbajo

Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, at the weekend affirmed that the worst problem bogging down people of the south East zone is the area’s dilapidated road networks.
Speaking while fielding questions from journalists in Enugu, where he attended
a function at the Cathedral Church of the Good Shepherd, Anglican
Communion, Professor Osibajo said the situation is clear to the federal government.
He noted that despite government financial constraint at the moment, there is a need to make improvements on roads in the South East where commerce thrives and people move about a lot to earn their living.
The Vice President disclosed that he had discussed the issue of the roads with Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, adding that the issue was not unknown to the federal government.
” Not just only one problem that the people of the South East have in terms of roads, you know what our financial constraints are, there is a need for improvement on roads where there is a lot of commerce and movement of people.”
Prof Osinbajo noted that there is need to raise the value of naira by discouraging importation of some items.
In a homily at the church, where the Vice President attended a wedding ceremony, Arch. Bishop of the Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, Anglican Communion, His Grace, Emmanuel Olisa Chukwuma had appealed to the Federal Government to create employment for the teaming unemployed youths in the country who are wallowing in poverty.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for fighting corruption in the country.

The Nation