Monday, 5 September 2016

Man who named dog Buhari names newborn daughter Aisha


dog (1)

The man, Joe Fortemose ‎Chinakwe, who named his dog after President Muhammadu Buhari, has sparked another social media ‘discourse’ as he named his newborn baby girl, Aisha. The 30-year-old trader named his child Aisha, purportedly after the wife of the president on Sunday.
It would be recalled that for naming his dog Buhari, Chinakwe was arrested and charged to the Ota Magistrate Court 2, Ogun State by the police with conduct likely to cause breach of public peace, in a case with suit number MOT/617c/2016.
He was, however, freed from detention after he fulfilled his N50, 000 bail condition.

PDP condemns alleged order to Edo workers to support APC




The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State has condemned an alleged directive to all civil servants in the state to wear APC arm bands and adorn their walls and tables in the office with the party’s posters and flags or risk being sacked. State Publicity Secretary of the party in Edo, Mr Chris Nehikhare, in a statement said whereas, “Civil servants are supposed to be apolitical, the trend where they were ordered through text messages ostensibly from the Head of Service to immediately adorn the arm bands, paste posters and put the APC flag on their desks, ‘with immediate effect’ is a tragedy.
“Although the text messages were also forwarded to local government employees in the state, indications are that they will not comply owing to the several months’ arrears of unpaid salaries.
“Even the orders to the head of Service who was also said to have received orders to proceed to collect consignments of the arm bands, flags and posters of the APC candidate from the party secretariat along Airport road, Benin City, is pathetic as it shows a desperation on the part of APC government to win the September 10 elections at all costs”.

Why we took over Jonathan cousin’s firm –Army

The Nigerian Army has explained why the men of the Army Headquarters Garrison, Mogadishu Cantonment, Abuja, took over the premises of a company belonging to Mr. Robert Azibaola, a cousin of former President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday.
 The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, told one of our correspondents in a text message that the land in question belonged to the Army.
 Usman said the Army decided to take over the property because the service did not want any further encroachment on the property.

Buhari can contest in 2019 – Obasanjo

Olusegun Obasanjo

Photo: Atom Lim 
A former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Sunday denied a media report that he asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019.


A former Chief Press Secretary to Mr. Obasanjo, Alex Nwokedi, was said to have made the comment on behalf of the former President in an online publication.
Mr. Nwokedi was reported as saying Mr. Obasanjo warned President Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019.
Mr. Obasanjo, in a statement made available to journalists‎, said there has been no communication between him and Mr. Nwokedi in the last three years.
“My belief is that democracy allowed for anybody including President Buhari for that matter to contest any election and it is the prerogative rights of Nigerians to vote or not to vote for them,” the ex-president said.
“I have not communicated with Alex in the last three years, so how a story could be credited to me, when I did not authorize such or communicate with him in the last three years?”
The former leader said he could never give Mr. Buhari such advice.
“I condemn in the most highest manner the story and those behind it. And for those behind it, they are simply enemies of democracy and freedom of expression,” he said.
Mr. Obasanjo is a supporter of the current president whom he backed against the immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan.

INEC bars suspected bribe takers from Edo, Ondo polls

The commission said the action was taken in order to give credibility to the two elections.



The Independent National Electoral Commission has stopped its officers, who are currently undergoing investigations for alleged corrupt practices, from taking part in the conduct of the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.

 Governorship elections are to hold in Edo and Ondo states on September 10 and November 26 respectively.

Obaseki ‘best at Edo poll debate’


Obaseki ‘best at Edo poll debate’
•Obaseki

All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Godwin Obaseki came tops after last night’s debate by candidates in Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State.
Three other candidates —Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Osaro Onaiwu (APGA) and Amos Areleogbe (LP)— fielded questions from a team of Channels Television interviewers.
Some of those who watched the 90-minute debate rated Obaseki ahead in the way he spoke on the economy; how he would tackle the problem of insecurity in the state; plans to diversify and significantly boost the economy; and steps to tackle unemployment and create 200,000 jobs in four years.
Twenty-one old Joy Iredia, a student of the University of Benin, said: “Until now, I did not take much interest in politics. But listening to all the candidates speak, I was drawn in by the candidate of the APC, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and how kept his focus on the issues and articulated his plans to take Edo State forward, particularly the use of technology as a tool for effective governance and job creation.”
A civil servant Mr. Osahon Bello, said, “The civil service forms the major workforce in Edo State. I align with Obaseki’s plan to restructure the civil service for efficiency and productive through robust training strategies to meet the challenges of fostering strong, sustainable and balanced economic growth.”

Fayose: dead civil servants’ names on Ekiti’s payroll


Fayose: dead civil servants’ names on Ekiti’s payroll
•Fayose

The names of many dead civil servants are still on Ekiti State’s payroll, Governor Ayo Fayose said at the weekend.
He warned that officials in charge would henceforth be held responsible to prevent financial leakages, which, he said, are robbing government of millions of naira.
According to the governor, such funds supposed to be channelled to other places for people’s benefit.
The governor handed down the warning at the weekend during a meeting with Directors of Finance and Accounts, Directors of Administration, Chief Internal Auditors and others from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The meeting was convened to find solutions to the problems associated with generating wholesome nominal and pay rolls by the MDAs.

Alamieyeseigha’s N2.8b hotel rots away in Abuja

Alamieyeseigha’s N2.8b hotel rots away in Abuja

•dying: Chelsea Hotel, Abuja taken over by weeds...yesterday
Almost seven years after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) handed over the N2.8billion Chelsea Hotel to the government of Bayelsa State, the hitherto money-spinning edifice is rotting away in Abuja.
The hotel was seized from the state’s first civilian governor, the late Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
A Federal High Court, Lagos in 2007 ordered the forfeiture of the hotel by Alamieyeseigha after the ex-governor was sentenced for corruption.
Besides the hotel, the EFCC sold other Alamieyeseigha assets in Nigeria and realised N3, 128, 230, 294.83billion; $441,000; E7, 000 and £2,000.
The money was remitted to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in accordance with the law, for onward delivery to the state government as ordered by the court.
Former EFCC Chairman Mrs. Farida Waziri on September 7, 2009 handed over the hotel to ex-Governor Timipreye Sylva in Abuja. The thinking was that it would be a source of revenue for the state.
Seven years after the asset was returned to the state government, the hotel has become a haven for miscreants, men of the underworld, rodents and reptiles.
Shady activities are being perpetrated at the abandoned hotel, which poses danger to some shopping malls and banks in the Central Business District of Abuja.
Some of the miscreants have stripped the hotel of vital materials, which has no security.
An EFCC source, who spoke in confidence, said: “As at the time we handed over the hotel, in 2009, the asset was worth N2.8billion. We returned the hotel to Bayelsa State with another asset at No. 2 Marscibit Street, Off Aminu Kano Crescent Wuse II Abuja which was valued at N210million.
“We took a step further by instructing Diya Fatimilehin and Co., former managers of the hotel to provide the state with detailed inventory of assets of the hotel.”
“It is unfortunate that nothing has been done in the last seven years. The land where the hotel is sited attracts either up to N800million to N1billion in Abuja. Yet the asset is allowed to lie fallow
“To the source, the fate of the once throwing hotel is a typical case of how the anti-graft war is being “frustrated and rendered meaningless”
“A former Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu worked day and night to bring Alamieyeseigha to justice but the efforts have come to naught,” he said.
Asked if the EFCC can query the state government on why the hotel has been abandoned, the source said: “Well, there is not much we can do because we have done our best.
“The state’s funds were looted and used to buy the hotel; we traced the loot and recovered the assets. It is left to the state to live up to its pledge to make judicious use of the asset or sell it.
“We have been expecting a status report from Bayelsa State on how it has spent the recovered funds and the utilisation of the returned assets.”
Upon the receipt of the hotel in 2009, Sylva said: “The Bayelsa State Government will not be able to manage the assets by itself. The fund that the state government will receive will also go to building what is called the Transparency Plaza, in the middle of the Yenagoa Central Business District, so that this plaza will be a monument that will be a constant reminder of today.
”As soon as the fund is accessed, we will like to ask you to come to Bayelsa State to lay the foundation of this plaza.
“We will welcome your close monitoring of the expenditure of this fund, after all without the instrumentality of EFCC, we would not have accessed this fund, so it is only good that you know exactly what we are doing. We are running an open government; our budget is on the website, anybody can access it. We are fully committed to transparency and to partner fully with EFCC.”
As at press time, rodents, reptiles, rodents, miscreants, drug addicts have taken over the hotel.
It was gathered that many posh cars and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) massed up in darkness at the hotel at night for what a source described as “nocturnal deals”.
A concerned bank executive said: “The activities of some miscreants at the old hotel premises constitute security threats to commercial entities in CBD, including choice malls and banks nearby.
“Security agencies and the police should have more than a passing interest in some activities at the old hotel.”

Boko Haram bomb maker ‘fails in bid to join army’

Boko Haram bomb maker ‘fails in bid to join army’

DSS arrests 21 suspects
Boko Haram members are planning to infiltrate security agencies, it was learnt yesterday.
Part of the plan is to insert an Improvised Explosives Devices specialist into the Army, the Department of State Security Services (DSS) said.
In a statement issued by its spokesman Tony Opuiyo, the DSS disclosed the increasing desperation and sophistication of criminal elements, noting that about 21 suspected assasins, fraudsters, kidnappers and others have been picked up during various operations across the country.
“In response to the regrouping of Boko Haram elements in Kano State, the Service in concert with the military, carried out coordinated operations in the State which led to the apprehension of two high profile members of the sect, namely Ibrahim Ustaz Abubakar and Idris Audu (aka A.Y.A.).