US politicians have approved a measure to lift the 40-year ban on crude oil exports.
The move is part of a $1.1 trillion (£738bn) spending bill approved by the Senate on Friday that will fund the US government until 2016.
Oil prices rose on Friday following several weeks of falls, as the markets cope with a glut of crude.
US West Texas Crude gained 1.1% to $36.38 a barrel, while Brent rose 0.7% to $37.32 a barrel.
US oil producers will now be able to sell crude to the already saturated international market.
The bulk of US oil comes from shale producers. Production and exploration companies argued the ban - imposed during the Arab oil embargo in the mid-1970s - was outdated and unnecessary.
Opponents claimed that lifting the ban would lead to the loss of oil refining jobs and would be bad for the environment.
As a trade-off for lifting the ban, the spending bill includes tax breaks for solar and wind power and a pledge by Republicans not to block a $500m payment to the UN Green Climate Fund.
President Obama signed the bill into law on Friday.
The global glut meant that lifting the ban was not expected to lead to significant US exports for months or even years, but could give producers extra flexibility.
George Baker, head of Producers for American Crude Oil Exports, said: "Now that we have levelled the playing field, the United States finally has an opportunity to compete and realise our nation's full potential as a global energy superpower."
Tom O'Malley, executive chairman of refiner PBF Energy, claimed that lifting the ban would lead at least one oil refinery on the US east coast to close.
"This is a crazy thing to do. Once you lift it, it's hard to reverse it," he said.
BBC
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Saturday, 19 December 2015
Guus Hiddink Replaces Mourinho At Chelsea As Interim Manager
Guus Hiddink has been appointed Chelsea manager until the end of the season, the Premier League champions announced on Saturday.
The experienced Dutch coach, 69, succeeds Jose Mourinho, who was sacked on Thursday, and returns to a role he previously performed in 2009, when he led Chelsea to glory in the FA Cup.
guus.jpe
“I am excited to return to Stamford Bridge,” Hiddink said in a statement on the Chelsea website.
“Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world, but is not where it should be at the moment. However, I am sure we can all turn this season around.
nigerianbulletin
The experienced Dutch coach, 69, succeeds Jose Mourinho, who was sacked on Thursday, and returns to a role he previously performed in 2009, when he led Chelsea to glory in the FA Cup.
guus.jpe
“I am excited to return to Stamford Bridge,” Hiddink said in a statement on the Chelsea website.
“Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in the world, but is not where it should be at the moment. However, I am sure we can all turn this season around.
nigerianbulletin
Alleged 32bn arms deal fraud: Court grants Dasuki, others bail
Former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki,rtd
Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf of the Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama has granted bail to the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, rtd. Others equally granted bail by the high court were the erstwhile Director of Finance in the Office of the NSA, Mr. Shuaibu Salisu and the former Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Commission, NNPC, Aminu Baba-Kusa .
The trio are answering to a 19-count criminal charge that was preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. In a ruling this afternoon, trial Justice Yusuf gave the accused persons bail in the sum of N200million each.
The court further ordered the accused persons to produce one surety each, who must be a serving or retired civil servant not below the rank of a Director. According to the court, the surety must show evidence of his or her ownership of a landed property in Abuja of which value must not be lower than N200million.
Besides, the accused persons were ordered to surrender their international passports to the Registrar of the High Court, even as they were forbade from travelling outside the jurisdiction of the court without permission. Dasuki and the other accused persons are facing trial alongside two firms- Acacia Holding Limited and Reliance Referal Hospital Limited.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/12/alleged-32bn-arms-deal-fraud-court-grants-dasuki-others-bail/
Friday, 18 December 2015
Naira Appreciates Against The Dollar
Good news as the Nigerian naira on Friday appreciated against the dollar at the parallel after weeks of free fall against the greenback.
The currency gained N10 to exchange at N270 to the dollar after it nosedived to N280 on Thursday.
At the official interbank window, it gained N0.03 to close at N196.97 to the dollar.
Traders said currency speculators were afraid that the naira could sell below their expectations and this forced them to release foreign exchange for sale.
Also Nigerians living abroad would be coming home with a lot of foreign currencies during the Yuletide period which will also help reduce the pressure on the foreign exchange market and strengthen the naira.
NAN
The currency gained N10 to exchange at N270 to the dollar after it nosedived to N280 on Thursday.
At the official interbank window, it gained N0.03 to close at N196.97 to the dollar.
Traders said currency speculators were afraid that the naira could sell below their expectations and this forced them to release foreign exchange for sale.
Also Nigerians living abroad would be coming home with a lot of foreign currencies during the Yuletide period which will also help reduce the pressure on the foreign exchange market and strengthen the naira.
NAN
Jose Mourinho sacked: Who will Chelsea turn to next?
The king is dead. Long live, well, who?
Chelsea's fans sang Jose Mourinho's name until the end, but ultimately their loyalty and a Premier League triumph seven months ago were no protection from owner Roman Abramovich's ruthless streak.
Now their attention turns to the next man to ride the club's managerial bucking bronco. But who are the potential contenders?
Click the link below to read more
http://m.bbc.com/sport/football/35125699
Chelsea's fans sang Jose Mourinho's name until the end, but ultimately their loyalty and a Premier League triumph seven months ago were no protection from owner Roman Abramovich's ruthless streak.
Now their attention turns to the next man to ride the club's managerial bucking bronco. But who are the potential contenders?
Click the link below to read more
http://m.bbc.com/sport/football/35125699
Justin Bieber Is Now SLEEPING With Kourtney Kardashian
In the world of affection nothing is impossible. According to TMZ it has just be confirmed through Kris Jenner that Justin Bieber is now SLEEPING with Kourtney Kardashian. That family is COMPLETE AND UTTER TRASH. Why do we say this? Well cause the word on the street is that Justin Bieber already slept with Kourtney's two sisters Kendall and Kylie.
Justin already had a close relationship with Kourtney -- and her ex Scott Disick. This past spring, Justin played babysitter to Mason Disick -- Kourtney's eldest son -- watching and playing with the boy in a pool. Justin posted a pic of them having fun on his Instagram account. Kourtney shared it as well
Justin is 21, Kourtney is 35 -- and the mother of three. This could get real interesting . . .
Justin already had a close relationship with Kourtney -- and her ex Scott Disick. This past spring, Justin played babysitter to Mason Disick -- Kourtney's eldest son -- watching and playing with the boy in a pool. Justin posted a pic of them having fun on his Instagram account. Kourtney shared it as well
Justin is 21, Kourtney is 35 -- and the mother of three. This could get real interesting . . .
INEC Takes Decision On Bayelsa Rerun
After the inconclusive results, The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has fixed January 9, 2016 for the supplementary election of the Southern Ijaw Local Council, Bayelsa state.
INEC.jpg
According to THE GUARDIAN, multi sources within the Commission claim that the date is widely acceptable to all the principal actors in the election saga.
INEC boss is set to meet with all the parties that participated in the last election, together with all the candidates on Thursday in Abuja.
INEC.jpg
According to THE GUARDIAN, multi sources within the Commission claim that the date is widely acceptable to all the principal actors in the election saga.
INEC boss is set to meet with all the parties that participated in the last election, together with all the candidates on Thursday in Abuja.
So Sad! Husband Shots Wife 13 Times Because She Couldn't Let Him Sleep
Sometimes we can really pinpoint where this world is going. A husband shot his wife and mother-of-two 13 times in the face while her sons were in the next room because she 'wouldn't let me sleep', according to police. Dorian Barker, 31, was arrested on Monday night in Indianapolis for allegedly killing wife Penny Jones-Barker, 28, after cops were called to a domestic disturbance at around 10.15pm.
Police said that when they arrived they found Barker standing on his front step, and when they asked him if everything was OK he responded 'yes', before adding: 'No, I just killed my wife.'
According to court documents seen by the Indianapolis Star, as Barker was led to a police car he told police: 'She's been trying to kill me all day. She wouldn't let me sleep.'
At the station, while being read his Miranda rights, Barker is reported to have interrupted the officer by reaching across the table and crumpling the paper he was reading from into a ball.
Inside the home officers said they found Jones, who had only been married to Barker since July, laying on the sofa with gunshot wounds to the face.
A Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol was found on the floor nearby, while 13 shell casing were recovered by crime lab technicians.
Jones's sons, aged 5 and 11, were asleep in an adjoining room at the time of the killing and are now in the custody of child protective services.
The murder was apparently witnessed by Jones's sister, who was sitting and smoking on the sofa with her when Barker came into the room. The sister said that Jones told Barker to put the gun away, and that he was scaring her, but he refused to do so.
Instead, the sister says, Barker walked around to the front of the sofa before unloading the weapon's entire magazine into her head.
The sister said she ran into a back bedroom before deciding to escape, then went back into the living room. There, she picked up the weapon and intended to take it, but thought better of it and dropped it before leaving the house.
Barker has been arrested twice before on domestic violence charges during previous relationships, but both times the charges were dismissed.
In 2007 he was charged with strangulation, battery and domestic battery, while in 2012 he was again charged with strangulation, intimidation, two counts of battery and two counts of domestic battery.
He is now being held in custody accused of murder.
According to the Indy Star, Jones drove buses and worked as a home health aide with the elderly in order to support her family.
Facebook posts in the days before she was killed show her at the mall meeting Santa with her son and a young nephew.
On December 13, just a day before she died, she posted an image of a Christmas tree in the family living room, saying: 'Christmas at the Barker's. Now who's going to help me wrap all these gifts?'
Devnee Kendrick, who identified herself as Jones's sister online, wrote: 'Oh Penny I can't stop crying sister, oh my God sister my heart aches for you.
'I just want my sister back. I have never felt anything like this. I just can't stomach this s***. I'm so sick Penny, I'm sick.
LIB
Police said that when they arrived they found Barker standing on his front step, and when they asked him if everything was OK he responded 'yes', before adding: 'No, I just killed my wife.'
According to court documents seen by the Indianapolis Star, as Barker was led to a police car he told police: 'She's been trying to kill me all day. She wouldn't let me sleep.'
At the station, while being read his Miranda rights, Barker is reported to have interrupted the officer by reaching across the table and crumpling the paper he was reading from into a ball.
Inside the home officers said they found Jones, who had only been married to Barker since July, laying on the sofa with gunshot wounds to the face.
A Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol was found on the floor nearby, while 13 shell casing were recovered by crime lab technicians.
Jones's sons, aged 5 and 11, were asleep in an adjoining room at the time of the killing and are now in the custody of child protective services.
The murder was apparently witnessed by Jones's sister, who was sitting and smoking on the sofa with her when Barker came into the room. The sister said that Jones told Barker to put the gun away, and that he was scaring her, but he refused to do so.
Instead, the sister says, Barker walked around to the front of the sofa before unloading the weapon's entire magazine into her head.
The sister said she ran into a back bedroom before deciding to escape, then went back into the living room. There, she picked up the weapon and intended to take it, but thought better of it and dropped it before leaving the house.
Barker has been arrested twice before on domestic violence charges during previous relationships, but both times the charges were dismissed.
In 2007 he was charged with strangulation, battery and domestic battery, while in 2012 he was again charged with strangulation, intimidation, two counts of battery and two counts of domestic battery.
He is now being held in custody accused of murder.
According to the Indy Star, Jones drove buses and worked as a home health aide with the elderly in order to support her family.
Facebook posts in the days before she was killed show her at the mall meeting Santa with her son and a young nephew.
On December 13, just a day before she died, she posted an image of a Christmas tree in the family living room, saying: 'Christmas at the Barker's. Now who's going to help me wrap all these gifts?'
Devnee Kendrick, who identified herself as Jones's sister online, wrote: 'Oh Penny I can't stop crying sister, oh my God sister my heart aches for you.
'I just want my sister back. I have never felt anything like this. I just can't stomach this s***. I'm so sick Penny, I'm sick.
LIB
N1.04 trn fine: MTN refuses to pay, threatens court action
MTN Nigeria has finally concluded it would not pay the N1.04 trn fine, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC imposed on it, for its failure to disengage about 5.1 million improperly registered subscribers on its network in August and September 2015 and has decided to challenge the NCC in court. Not even the reduction of the fine to N780 billion last week by the commission, could sway the telecommunications company.
Addressing its shareholders, yesterday, MTN said that “all factors having a bearing on the matter have been thoroughly and carefully considered including a review of the circumstances leading to the fine and the subsequent letters received from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
“MTN Nigeria acting on legal advice has resolved that the manner of the imposition of the fine and the quantum thereof is not in accordance with the NCC’s powers under the Nigerian Communications Act. Accordingly MTN has followed due process and has instructed its lawyers to proceed with an action in the Federal High Court in Lagos seeking the appropriate reliefs.
Appropriate reliefs
MTN is advised that in the current circumstances in line with the lis pendens rule (pending legal action) the parties are enjoined to restrain from taking further action until the matter is finally determined. This is consistent with previous judicial decisions in Nigeria”.
The telecommunications company said that notwithstanding this action, the company will continue to engage with the Nigerian authorities to try and ensure an amicable resolution in the best interests of the company, its stakeholders and the Nigerian authorities. The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, last week reduced the N1.04 trillion fine it imposed on MTN Nigeria to N780 billion. However, the commission also mandated the telecom operator to pay the fine on or before December 31, 2015.
Meanwhile, the MTN’s latest decision has attracted several reactions from stakeholders in the industry. While some agreed that MTN reserved the right to seek court interpretation to the issue, others warned of the consequences taking the matter to court might bring to both the company, the sector and the country at large particularly with the level of impact the sector has on foreign direct investment and the country’s GDP.
Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators in Nigeria, ALTON, Engr Gbenga Adebayo, said that although MTN has the right to seek court action as a company, over matters that were not clear to it, the implication of taking the matter to court is that investors who would have ordinarily strolled into the country to do business would have to wait to see the outcome of the case before doing so. “I hope this matter would be resolved amicably for the interest of all and the sector. No foreign investor would want to come to the sector now if the matter is in court until they see the direction of the resolution. That is an implication that may also tell on the contribution of the sector to the GDP” he added.
Also president of Teledom Group, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, added that taking the matter to court may be a business decision following the nature of Nigeria’s judicial system. “Anything is possible. It may be a business decision, considering that before the case would go through all the levels to Supreme Court, it may have taken five years, of which they may have recouped a lot of gains to pay the fine. But if the court finds out there was an infraction and that the fine by NCC was in the right direction, MTN should know that it would not only pay the fine but also compensations. All these would also impact the sector in one way or the other. So amicable resolution would have served better option”.
In his reaction, President of Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, Engr Lanre Ajayi, said that going to court to seek clarification, was a right no one should fault MTN on, if all other options have been exhausted. He, however, said that he did not believe that it would impact the sector negatively in any way. The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, last week reduced the N1.04 trillion fine it imposed on MTN Nigeria to N780 billion.
However, the commission also mandated the telecom operator to pay the fine on or before December 31, 2015. The fine imposed on the telecom operator followed what NCC described as MTN’s inability to disconnect about 5.1 million Nigerian subscribers improperly registered on its network, after several warnings in August and September 2015.
Vanguard
Addressing its shareholders, yesterday, MTN said that “all factors having a bearing on the matter have been thoroughly and carefully considered including a review of the circumstances leading to the fine and the subsequent letters received from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
“MTN Nigeria acting on legal advice has resolved that the manner of the imposition of the fine and the quantum thereof is not in accordance with the NCC’s powers under the Nigerian Communications Act. Accordingly MTN has followed due process and has instructed its lawyers to proceed with an action in the Federal High Court in Lagos seeking the appropriate reliefs.
Appropriate reliefs
MTN is advised that in the current circumstances in line with the lis pendens rule (pending legal action) the parties are enjoined to restrain from taking further action until the matter is finally determined. This is consistent with previous judicial decisions in Nigeria”.
The telecommunications company said that notwithstanding this action, the company will continue to engage with the Nigerian authorities to try and ensure an amicable resolution in the best interests of the company, its stakeholders and the Nigerian authorities. The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, last week reduced the N1.04 trillion fine it imposed on MTN Nigeria to N780 billion. However, the commission also mandated the telecom operator to pay the fine on or before December 31, 2015.
Meanwhile, the MTN’s latest decision has attracted several reactions from stakeholders in the industry. While some agreed that MTN reserved the right to seek court interpretation to the issue, others warned of the consequences taking the matter to court might bring to both the company, the sector and the country at large particularly with the level of impact the sector has on foreign direct investment and the country’s GDP.
Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators in Nigeria, ALTON, Engr Gbenga Adebayo, said that although MTN has the right to seek court action as a company, over matters that were not clear to it, the implication of taking the matter to court is that investors who would have ordinarily strolled into the country to do business would have to wait to see the outcome of the case before doing so. “I hope this matter would be resolved amicably for the interest of all and the sector. No foreign investor would want to come to the sector now if the matter is in court until they see the direction of the resolution. That is an implication that may also tell on the contribution of the sector to the GDP” he added.
Also president of Teledom Group, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, added that taking the matter to court may be a business decision following the nature of Nigeria’s judicial system. “Anything is possible. It may be a business decision, considering that before the case would go through all the levels to Supreme Court, it may have taken five years, of which they may have recouped a lot of gains to pay the fine. But if the court finds out there was an infraction and that the fine by NCC was in the right direction, MTN should know that it would not only pay the fine but also compensations. All these would also impact the sector in one way or the other. So amicable resolution would have served better option”.
In his reaction, President of Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, Engr Lanre Ajayi, said that going to court to seek clarification, was a right no one should fault MTN on, if all other options have been exhausted. He, however, said that he did not believe that it would impact the sector negatively in any way. The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, last week reduced the N1.04 trillion fine it imposed on MTN Nigeria to N780 billion.
However, the commission also mandated the telecom operator to pay the fine on or before December 31, 2015. The fine imposed on the telecom operator followed what NCC described as MTN’s inability to disconnect about 5.1 million Nigerian subscribers improperly registered on its network, after several warnings in August and September 2015.
Vanguard
Thursday, 17 December 2015
Get Use To A Real Jagaban
Jagaban Nigeria. (1) Prof Yemisi Osinbajo SAN was Tinubu's Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice. He is today, Nigeria's Vice President (2) Rauf Aregbesola was Tinubu's Commissioner for work. Today he is serving his second tenure as Governor of Osun State (3) Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN was Tinubu's Chief of Staff and successor in office. He is today Nigeria's Minister of Power, works and housing (4) Alhaji laid Muhammed was Tinubu's first chief of staff. He is today Nigeria's Minister of information (5) Babatunde fowler was appointed by Tinubu as Chairman of the Lagos state Internal Revenue Service. Today, he is the Executive Chairman of the Federal inland Revenue Service. At the National Assembly, there are countless "Tinubu boys" who have occupied and are still occupying seats till today. Since 1999, the Tinubu camp has produced almost 98% of the members of the National Assembly from Lagos state. Forget politics, this man is a political enigma. Rewind to 1999 I am sure most of us have forgotten the names of the people who were elected Governors then. Some of them have gone out of circulation. Some are gasping for breath politically. Indeed, most of them are no longer relevant today. Who still remember Mbadinuju of Anambra state, Jolly Nyame of Taraba, Muhammed lawal of kwara, Segun Osoba of Ogun state, Attahiru Bafarawa of Sokoto, Achike udenwa of Imo, Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom, Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia? That one has lost two consecutive senatorial elections. But Tinubu has not only managed to remain extremely relevant, he has continued to control Lagos politics 100%. Not only that, he manages to carry his boys along and today they occupy critical position in our national life. Take it or leave it, Tinubu is today, Nigeria's most powerful political entity. It didn't just happen by chance. He worked very hard for it. Very very hard. The hallmark of a true leader is not just the ability to rule well but also the ability to nurture and groom his associates. THE JAGABAN!!!
Uncertainty Shrouded Mourinho's Future At Chelsea
Last season's Premier League champions Chelsea are two places above the relegation zone after 16 matches
Speculation about Jose Mourinho's position as Chelsea manager is nothing new and will "ebb away", says former Blues winger Pat Nevin.
Mourinho's future at the club is in question following discussions about his position among Blues directors.
The Premier League champions' defeat at Leicester on Monday - their ninth loss in 16 league games - left them a point above the relegation places in 16th.
Asked if Mourinho, 52, would be sacked, Nevin said: "I don't see it happening."
The Scot, a regular pundit on Chelsea's television channel, was speaking on a special BBC Radio 5 live programme about Mourinho's future.
Nevin, who played for the London club from 1983-1988, added: "I've been outside Stamford Bridge seven or eight times after games this season and the mood today is no different.
"I would agree the manager's future has been in doubt for months, but that doesn't mean he will go.
"It builds up and comes to a crescendo, but every time it then ebbs away."
Chelsea host fellow strugglers Sunderland in the Premier League on Saturday.
◾'Mourinho gone when Chelsea find right replacement'
'The nuclear option'
Nevin was asked about comments Mourinho made immediately after Monday's 2-1 defeat.
The Portuguese said he felt his "work was betrayed" by his players at the King Power Stadium.
BBC
Senate approves MTEF as oil prices, Naira crash further
The Senate, yesterday, approved the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, and Fiscal Strategy Paper, FSP, 2016-18 submitted by the Federal Government, basing the financial estimates on oil revenue at benchmark of $38 per barrel and exchange rate at N197/ $1. MTEF and FSP are the three-year fiscal plan from where the annual budget is extracted.
PIC.23. SENATE CHAMBER DURING THE INAUGURATION OF THE 8TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY (9/6/15). 3023/9/6/2015/CH/BJO/NAN
But the international oil prices and the domestic currency market at the parallel segment have all moved against both benchmarks, yesterday.
While the global oil benchmark, West Texas Intermediate and Brent Crude closed, yesterday, at $35.83 per barrel, down by 4.07 per cent and Brent Crude down by 3.25 per cent to $37.20 per barrel, the OPEC reference where Nigeria’s Bonny Light trades also closed lower at $32.6 per barrel, far below the Federal Government’s 2016 budget benchmark.
Similarly, while the official exchange rate has been retained by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, at N197/ $1, the Naira crashed to N270 per dollar at the parallel market, yesterday.
Market operators blamed the continued crash in Naira value at the parallel market on constrains in the supply of the foreign exchange resources coupled with speculations that official devaluation is becoming inevitable following steady decline in foreign reserves and dollar inflow from crude oil sales.
The speculations appeared further fuelled by CBN’s reduction of quantity of foreign exchange supply to Bureaux de Change, BDCs, yesterday to $10,000, down by over 66 per cent from $30,000 per week.
At the backdrop of these developments, President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to present the 2016 budget estimates to the National Assembly on Tuesday for further deliberations and final approval of the 2016 Appropriation Bill.
Single salary account for all employees
Meanwhile, the Senate also approved, yesterday, that the Federal Government should, in 2016, establish a data base and possibly a single salary account for all its employees to help streamline and reduce its personnel cost.
The Senate also urged the government to sustain the implementation of Treasury Single Account, TSA, in 2016 with e- collection platform.
President Buhari had, Wednesday, December 8, forwarded the MTEF and FSP to the National Assembly with far reaching economic proposals including scraping of oil sector subsidy.
President Buhari wrote the National Assembly yesterday, informing it of his readiness to present the 2016 Appropriation Bill to the joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who read Buhari’s letter at plenary, said the President had requested to address the joint session of the federal parliament on the 2016 budget at exactly 10:00 am.
The approval of the MTEF and FSP documents were sequel to a report by the Joint Committee on Finance, Appropriations; and National Planning and Economic Affairs by the Chairman, Senator John Owan Enoh.
Recommendations
In the approved MTEF report, the Senate also asked the Federal Government to sustain the current tempo towards increasing Federal Government internally generated revenue and diversification of the economy, as well as the projected increase in oil production from current 1.9 million barrels per day, mbpd, to 2.2 mbpd
Other recommendations of the joint committee as approved by the Senate were: “that the relevant committees of the National Assembly should closely and constantly maintain oversight over the ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs, responsible for implementing special intervention programmes to ensure that the targeted benefits are achieved while safeguarding against abuses.
“The diversification of the economy should be accompanied with economic modernisation such that the economy can be more competitive and productive; arrears of 2015 fuel subsidy for domestic consumption as proposed in the MTEF be sustained;the funding of the infrastructural development stated in the MTEF should be clearly captured in the details of the 2016 Appropriation Bill;
“The National Assembly in close collaboration with the executive should as a matter of urgency consider an accelerated passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) particularly those sections with implication on joint venture funding by the federal government (JV Cash Calls).”
In his remarks, Senate President, Bukola Saraki who noted that the contents of the MTEF document had clearly indicated that Nigerians were going to a very challenging times in 2016 because the nation was still practicing a mono economy with a product that we do not control the price, stated: “We must continue to increase our independent revenue, we must make effort to increase our tax revenue and the committees should intensity efforts in their oversight activities.
“We must also work to reduce the level of borrowing and the executive should also comply with the senate recommendations on the MTEF particularly as regards to oil subsidy. The situations in the past where we submit MTEF and we then go to do something completely different I think should not be entertained again.”
Naira depreciates to N270/$ in parallel market
Vanguard investigation revealed that from N260 per dollar at the close of business on Tuesday, the parallel market exchange rate rose sharply to N270 per dollar in Lagos, indicating N10 depreciation.
But in Abuja, the parallel market exchange rate rose from N262 per dollar to close at N273 per dollar, indicating N11 depreciation.
BDC operators, who confirmed this development to Vanguard, said the sharp depreciation was due to further reduction in the weekly dollar sales by the CBN.
President, Association of Bureaux de Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, told Vanguard that though the CBN increased the number of BDCs it sold dollars to from 1,170 last week to 2,270 this week, it however reduced the amount of dollars sold to each BDC by 60 per cent from $30,000 to $10,000.
According to Mr. Harrison Owoh, Chief Executive Officer, H.J Trust BDC, the decision of the CBN aggravated the demand situation in the market.
He said: “There is huge volume of unsatisfied demand in the market. We had to turn down lots of request for dollars because there is no dollars to sell to them,” he told Vanguard.
An Abuja-based BDC operator, who spoke on condition of anonymity told Vanguard: “The dollar is selling at N273 in Abuja this evening. It was N262 in the morning. We are surprised at the pace of depreciation, because we can’t explain why it just went up by such margin in one day.”
Speculative reaction
On this development, Director, Corporate Communications, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ibrahim Mu’azu, said the reduction in dollar sales to BDCs is part of the demand management of the CBN in the foreign exchange market.
He said the depreciation of the naira to N270 per dollar is a speculative reaction to the development.
According to him, “the rate is not sustainable. This is because there are still other windows for end users to buy dollars at lower rate. They can buy dollars at the official rate from the deposit money banks, and from Travelex inside the airport. So by the time people know about these alternatives, the reaction in the parallel market, and the exchange rate will calm down.”
Further investigations reveal that the naira also depreciated heavily against the British pounds. From N365 per pounds at the close of business last week, the parallel market exchange rate rose sharply to N385 per pounds at the close of business yesterday.
In addition to the reduction in dollar sales by CBN, foreign exchange supply from autonomous sources is thinning due to hording. “People are hording their dollars in anticipation of further depreciation of the naira, while some are demanding higher exchange rate before they sell,” said the Abuja-based BDC operator.
Vanguard
PIC.23. SENATE CHAMBER DURING THE INAUGURATION OF THE 8TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN ABUJA ON TUESDAY (9/6/15). 3023/9/6/2015/CH/BJO/NAN
But the international oil prices and the domestic currency market at the parallel segment have all moved against both benchmarks, yesterday.
While the global oil benchmark, West Texas Intermediate and Brent Crude closed, yesterday, at $35.83 per barrel, down by 4.07 per cent and Brent Crude down by 3.25 per cent to $37.20 per barrel, the OPEC reference where Nigeria’s Bonny Light trades also closed lower at $32.6 per barrel, far below the Federal Government’s 2016 budget benchmark.
Similarly, while the official exchange rate has been retained by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, at N197/ $1, the Naira crashed to N270 per dollar at the parallel market, yesterday.
Market operators blamed the continued crash in Naira value at the parallel market on constrains in the supply of the foreign exchange resources coupled with speculations that official devaluation is becoming inevitable following steady decline in foreign reserves and dollar inflow from crude oil sales.
The speculations appeared further fuelled by CBN’s reduction of quantity of foreign exchange supply to Bureaux de Change, BDCs, yesterday to $10,000, down by over 66 per cent from $30,000 per week.
At the backdrop of these developments, President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to present the 2016 budget estimates to the National Assembly on Tuesday for further deliberations and final approval of the 2016 Appropriation Bill.
Single salary account for all employees
Meanwhile, the Senate also approved, yesterday, that the Federal Government should, in 2016, establish a data base and possibly a single salary account for all its employees to help streamline and reduce its personnel cost.
The Senate also urged the government to sustain the implementation of Treasury Single Account, TSA, in 2016 with e- collection platform.
President Buhari had, Wednesday, December 8, forwarded the MTEF and FSP to the National Assembly with far reaching economic proposals including scraping of oil sector subsidy.
President Buhari wrote the National Assembly yesterday, informing it of his readiness to present the 2016 Appropriation Bill to the joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who read Buhari’s letter at plenary, said the President had requested to address the joint session of the federal parliament on the 2016 budget at exactly 10:00 am.
The approval of the MTEF and FSP documents were sequel to a report by the Joint Committee on Finance, Appropriations; and National Planning and Economic Affairs by the Chairman, Senator John Owan Enoh.
Recommendations
In the approved MTEF report, the Senate also asked the Federal Government to sustain the current tempo towards increasing Federal Government internally generated revenue and diversification of the economy, as well as the projected increase in oil production from current 1.9 million barrels per day, mbpd, to 2.2 mbpd
Other recommendations of the joint committee as approved by the Senate were: “that the relevant committees of the National Assembly should closely and constantly maintain oversight over the ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs, responsible for implementing special intervention programmes to ensure that the targeted benefits are achieved while safeguarding against abuses.
“The diversification of the economy should be accompanied with economic modernisation such that the economy can be more competitive and productive; arrears of 2015 fuel subsidy for domestic consumption as proposed in the MTEF be sustained;the funding of the infrastructural development stated in the MTEF should be clearly captured in the details of the 2016 Appropriation Bill;
“The National Assembly in close collaboration with the executive should as a matter of urgency consider an accelerated passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) particularly those sections with implication on joint venture funding by the federal government (JV Cash Calls).”
In his remarks, Senate President, Bukola Saraki who noted that the contents of the MTEF document had clearly indicated that Nigerians were going to a very challenging times in 2016 because the nation was still practicing a mono economy with a product that we do not control the price, stated: “We must continue to increase our independent revenue, we must make effort to increase our tax revenue and the committees should intensity efforts in their oversight activities.
“We must also work to reduce the level of borrowing and the executive should also comply with the senate recommendations on the MTEF particularly as regards to oil subsidy. The situations in the past where we submit MTEF and we then go to do something completely different I think should not be entertained again.”
Naira depreciates to N270/$ in parallel market
Vanguard investigation revealed that from N260 per dollar at the close of business on Tuesday, the parallel market exchange rate rose sharply to N270 per dollar in Lagos, indicating N10 depreciation.
But in Abuja, the parallel market exchange rate rose from N262 per dollar to close at N273 per dollar, indicating N11 depreciation.
BDC operators, who confirmed this development to Vanguard, said the sharp depreciation was due to further reduction in the weekly dollar sales by the CBN.
President, Association of Bureaux de Change Operators of Nigeria (ABCON), Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, told Vanguard that though the CBN increased the number of BDCs it sold dollars to from 1,170 last week to 2,270 this week, it however reduced the amount of dollars sold to each BDC by 60 per cent from $30,000 to $10,000.
According to Mr. Harrison Owoh, Chief Executive Officer, H.J Trust BDC, the decision of the CBN aggravated the demand situation in the market.
He said: “There is huge volume of unsatisfied demand in the market. We had to turn down lots of request for dollars because there is no dollars to sell to them,” he told Vanguard.
An Abuja-based BDC operator, who spoke on condition of anonymity told Vanguard: “The dollar is selling at N273 in Abuja this evening. It was N262 in the morning. We are surprised at the pace of depreciation, because we can’t explain why it just went up by such margin in one day.”
Speculative reaction
On this development, Director, Corporate Communications, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ibrahim Mu’azu, said the reduction in dollar sales to BDCs is part of the demand management of the CBN in the foreign exchange market.
He said the depreciation of the naira to N270 per dollar is a speculative reaction to the development.
According to him, “the rate is not sustainable. This is because there are still other windows for end users to buy dollars at lower rate. They can buy dollars at the official rate from the deposit money banks, and from Travelex inside the airport. So by the time people know about these alternatives, the reaction in the parallel market, and the exchange rate will calm down.”
Further investigations reveal that the naira also depreciated heavily against the British pounds. From N365 per pounds at the close of business last week, the parallel market exchange rate rose sharply to N385 per pounds at the close of business yesterday.
In addition to the reduction in dollar sales by CBN, foreign exchange supply from autonomous sources is thinning due to hording. “People are hording their dollars in anticipation of further depreciation of the naira, while some are demanding higher exchange rate before they sell,” said the Abuja-based BDC operator.
Vanguard
Wednesday, 16 December 2015
Why I’ll continue to oppose Buhari, APC — Gov FAYOSE
GOVERNOR Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, in this encounter, bares his mind on the setting up of a military panel headed by Maj-Gen Adeniyi Oyebade to look into the roles of the military in the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti among other burning national issues. Excerpts:
By Dapo Akinrefon
His take on the Military panel
After I won the election, there was this effort to stop the swearing in that generated a lot of controversy. There was one story of photo-chromic military rigging and all that.
After Dr Kayode Fayemi conceded, the All Progressives Congress, APC, still went ahead to challenge it up to the Supreme Court and we still won. The Supreme Court dealt properly with the issue of impeachment and it did not raise issues of whether the elections were won or not. It talked about the issue of certificate that was raised in 2002 and it equally raised the issue of non qualification as a result of impeachment. The court dealt with it all and it was a landmark judgement already reported in all law journals. So, ordinarily, I think this should put paid to all these stories.
An online newspaper generated a report of a conversation and I came out to say that I was part of the conversation, I was the complainant in that conversation. Why set up a military committee to look into the Ekiti and Osun elections that were adjudged to be free and fair? The Americans and international observers made it very clear that they recommend the way the Ekiti elections were run for subsequent elections.
To my surprise, I heard they set up a panel to look into activities of some military men during the elections in Ekiti and Osun, that is their choice. To fulfil all righteousness, I sent my Attorney-General and Commissioner for Information to give them information that they may not have. For instance, they might not be privy to the observers’ report. If the international community says the elections were free and fair, that the military did well, the military will be on their own if they indict their personnel because of politics.
Criticising Buhari
I have been very critical of this government and I will continue to be critical of any government in Nigeria because democracy is about opposition and the government in power. I have no regrets and I am not sorry about my actions. I did not start after Buhari’s election, I started before the elections.
Fayose
Fayose
I actually told Nigerians not to vote for him (Buhari), I made advertorials and I am still not sorry for that, I still maintain my stand because I envisaged this disobedience of court orders and dictatorship. Forget about those who rule Nigeria but we must be governed by the rule of law.
Those who promoted Buhari to be president, at one time or the other later in this country, will regret, and most of them are already regretting and suffering in silence because when you promote a lion and you don’t remember to tame its claws and jaws, one day you will end up in its stomach.
What they are doing now is that they went to Kaduna, after all submissions, they now want to say the military rigged Ekiti election. So, I want to remind them, they are on the verge of destroying democracy in Nigeria. Call it fighting corruption but they are on the verge of destroying democracy in Nigeria.
On Kogi election: The Kogi experience is still very fresh. It doesn’t matter which party I belong to but Nigerians, their votes, and their views must be respected; a man did not participate in an election and he is the beneficiary of that election.
If a man is dead he should not enjoy democracy and votes from an election. Automatically, election came, processes followed and a winner must be announced; Wada was supposed to be announced. Now that you have equally chosen not to announce Wada I don’t know how you brought somebody else who did not participate in the elections. I must commend Faleke. I am not saying he is the winner but we must commend him for standing out in the midst of this darkness.
God uses a man for a purpose in a given time. Faleke is being used for a purpose in this period of this democracy. Look at what happened in Bayelsa where the military were engaging the electorate physically. It is all over the social media. We will continue to remember Buhari for his antecedents and his current attitude which undermines our democracy. I am telling him again, the consequences of dictatorship is the fall of the dictator. It is either he threads softly and remember the same Nigerians who gave him the opportunity after several attempts.
Arms deal: Again, I want to talk about the N2.1bn arms deal. I agree with them; we should all fight corruption.
Continuing with propaganda
All I am saying is that the security votes under the National Security Adviser (NSA) is part of the prerogative of the President at a given time to stabilise the country. President Buhari must be bold enough to go beyond Jonathan’s tenure and let us look at all the NSA’s in office in the last 16 years.
He should go a little further, the Halliburton is there why is he shying away from going there? I am telling you corruption is even higher under Buhari than ever before. We cannot continue with this propaganda and I want to say that Buhari should make public in the last 16 years, finance under the NSA.
Ekiti mandate: Ekiti people gave me free mandate to govern them. I am the first person in Ekiti to be governor twice. I am the first Nigerian and Nigerian politician to defeat two incumbent governors at two different attempts. I have records when they talk they say I wore particular type of cloth what is their business. The people that I govern are very happy with me whether I wear tattered clothes. They are hypocrites, they do something else in dark corners and another one in the open.
They made attempt to make my swearing in impossible but the people rose against them, the went to ensure I was impeached but the people rose against them, they made attempt to the Supreme Court to stop me they were stopped; they are at it again, they want to use military panel.
Would you say that the role of the military for example in Ekiti was perfect or otherwise?
I am not in a position to judge Ekiti election, but we have judgment, opinions about Ekiti election. The international community, the Americans phoned to congratulate me personally and they wrote, it is on their website where they recommended Ekiti election for all elections in Nigeria, the conduct, the handling by the military. They recommended it for the 2015 elections.
You expressed your view about what transpired at the military panel, a decision which you said was going to be pursued up to the Supreme Court and you tried to predict what is likely to happen to your victory at the polls, tell us who are the people behind this plot?
APC, the President himself. That military panel was selected for this hatchet job. The same military handled the election in Ekiti and Osun. PDP won in Ekiti but APC won in Osun, heavens did not fall. They have a target, but we are waiting for them.
Now that you are perceived as the face of the opposition, are you not worried about your safety?
My brother, forget that one! This year I am 55, I will be 56 next year. If I die today, I have five sons; they will do a big party. People will console them that your father lived an exemplary life, he was governor twice.
Military panel for hatchet job
They will still move on and enjoy my wealth. Those things we fear most happen to us eventually. I am not a coward, life is not about how many years you live but what you stand to represent. Within or outside Ekiti, I don’t use siren.
I don’t carry policeman or DSS about, I don’t need them. If you come you are only wasting your time because I have nothing to hide, there is even no money for anybody to steal.
I stood to fight all through the eight years and as God would have it look, I left October 16, 2006, I came back October 16, 2014. That is instructive that God is with me. The very day the Buhari-administration faces me, his government will come down.
Any government that confronts me will come down, it will not stand the test of time. Why would you muscle everybody because we are opposed to you. I am in PDP and will never go to any other party. I am Ayo Fayose, I was governor without a godfather, I was there for three and half years before Obasanjo took me out. I am back now but Obasanjo is an expired man today, and I am still making impacts. He is expired, he goes to Aso Rock to go and beg every week, prostrating. How many times did Buhari visited him when he was president in Aso Rock? Buhari did not step Aso Rock throughout not even in Council of State meeting.
Van
By Dapo Akinrefon
His take on the Military panel
After I won the election, there was this effort to stop the swearing in that generated a lot of controversy. There was one story of photo-chromic military rigging and all that.
After Dr Kayode Fayemi conceded, the All Progressives Congress, APC, still went ahead to challenge it up to the Supreme Court and we still won. The Supreme Court dealt properly with the issue of impeachment and it did not raise issues of whether the elections were won or not. It talked about the issue of certificate that was raised in 2002 and it equally raised the issue of non qualification as a result of impeachment. The court dealt with it all and it was a landmark judgement already reported in all law journals. So, ordinarily, I think this should put paid to all these stories.
An online newspaper generated a report of a conversation and I came out to say that I was part of the conversation, I was the complainant in that conversation. Why set up a military committee to look into the Ekiti and Osun elections that were adjudged to be free and fair? The Americans and international observers made it very clear that they recommend the way the Ekiti elections were run for subsequent elections.
To my surprise, I heard they set up a panel to look into activities of some military men during the elections in Ekiti and Osun, that is their choice. To fulfil all righteousness, I sent my Attorney-General and Commissioner for Information to give them information that they may not have. For instance, they might not be privy to the observers’ report. If the international community says the elections were free and fair, that the military did well, the military will be on their own if they indict their personnel because of politics.
Criticising Buhari
I have been very critical of this government and I will continue to be critical of any government in Nigeria because democracy is about opposition and the government in power. I have no regrets and I am not sorry about my actions. I did not start after Buhari’s election, I started before the elections.
Fayose
Fayose
I actually told Nigerians not to vote for him (Buhari), I made advertorials and I am still not sorry for that, I still maintain my stand because I envisaged this disobedience of court orders and dictatorship. Forget about those who rule Nigeria but we must be governed by the rule of law.
Those who promoted Buhari to be president, at one time or the other later in this country, will regret, and most of them are already regretting and suffering in silence because when you promote a lion and you don’t remember to tame its claws and jaws, one day you will end up in its stomach.
What they are doing now is that they went to Kaduna, after all submissions, they now want to say the military rigged Ekiti election. So, I want to remind them, they are on the verge of destroying democracy in Nigeria. Call it fighting corruption but they are on the verge of destroying democracy in Nigeria.
On Kogi election: The Kogi experience is still very fresh. It doesn’t matter which party I belong to but Nigerians, their votes, and their views must be respected; a man did not participate in an election and he is the beneficiary of that election.
If a man is dead he should not enjoy democracy and votes from an election. Automatically, election came, processes followed and a winner must be announced; Wada was supposed to be announced. Now that you have equally chosen not to announce Wada I don’t know how you brought somebody else who did not participate in the elections. I must commend Faleke. I am not saying he is the winner but we must commend him for standing out in the midst of this darkness.
God uses a man for a purpose in a given time. Faleke is being used for a purpose in this period of this democracy. Look at what happened in Bayelsa where the military were engaging the electorate physically. It is all over the social media. We will continue to remember Buhari for his antecedents and his current attitude which undermines our democracy. I am telling him again, the consequences of dictatorship is the fall of the dictator. It is either he threads softly and remember the same Nigerians who gave him the opportunity after several attempts.
Arms deal: Again, I want to talk about the N2.1bn arms deal. I agree with them; we should all fight corruption.
Continuing with propaganda
All I am saying is that the security votes under the National Security Adviser (NSA) is part of the prerogative of the President at a given time to stabilise the country. President Buhari must be bold enough to go beyond Jonathan’s tenure and let us look at all the NSA’s in office in the last 16 years.
He should go a little further, the Halliburton is there why is he shying away from going there? I am telling you corruption is even higher under Buhari than ever before. We cannot continue with this propaganda and I want to say that Buhari should make public in the last 16 years, finance under the NSA.
Ekiti mandate: Ekiti people gave me free mandate to govern them. I am the first person in Ekiti to be governor twice. I am the first Nigerian and Nigerian politician to defeat two incumbent governors at two different attempts. I have records when they talk they say I wore particular type of cloth what is their business. The people that I govern are very happy with me whether I wear tattered clothes. They are hypocrites, they do something else in dark corners and another one in the open.
They made attempt to make my swearing in impossible but the people rose against them, the went to ensure I was impeached but the people rose against them, they made attempt to the Supreme Court to stop me they were stopped; they are at it again, they want to use military panel.
Would you say that the role of the military for example in Ekiti was perfect or otherwise?
I am not in a position to judge Ekiti election, but we have judgment, opinions about Ekiti election. The international community, the Americans phoned to congratulate me personally and they wrote, it is on their website where they recommended Ekiti election for all elections in Nigeria, the conduct, the handling by the military. They recommended it for the 2015 elections.
You expressed your view about what transpired at the military panel, a decision which you said was going to be pursued up to the Supreme Court and you tried to predict what is likely to happen to your victory at the polls, tell us who are the people behind this plot?
APC, the President himself. That military panel was selected for this hatchet job. The same military handled the election in Ekiti and Osun. PDP won in Ekiti but APC won in Osun, heavens did not fall. They have a target, but we are waiting for them.
Now that you are perceived as the face of the opposition, are you not worried about your safety?
My brother, forget that one! This year I am 55, I will be 56 next year. If I die today, I have five sons; they will do a big party. People will console them that your father lived an exemplary life, he was governor twice.
Military panel for hatchet job
They will still move on and enjoy my wealth. Those things we fear most happen to us eventually. I am not a coward, life is not about how many years you live but what you stand to represent. Within or outside Ekiti, I don’t use siren.
I don’t carry policeman or DSS about, I don’t need them. If you come you are only wasting your time because I have nothing to hide, there is even no money for anybody to steal.
I stood to fight all through the eight years and as God would have it look, I left October 16, 2006, I came back October 16, 2014. That is instructive that God is with me. The very day the Buhari-administration faces me, his government will come down.
Any government that confronts me will come down, it will not stand the test of time. Why would you muscle everybody because we are opposed to you. I am in PDP and will never go to any other party. I am Ayo Fayose, I was governor without a godfather, I was there for three and half years before Obasanjo took me out. I am back now but Obasanjo is an expired man today, and I am still making impacts. He is expired, he goes to Aso Rock to go and beg every week, prostrating. How many times did Buhari visited him when he was president in Aso Rock? Buhari did not step Aso Rock throughout not even in Council of State meeting.
Van
Tuesday, 15 December 2015
Presidency Reveals! We Got 2 Cars Not 5 From Dasuki
As culled from LIB, Press statement from the Presidency...they admit the president collected one armoured SUV and one untreated SUV but deny he received three hundred thousand dollars. Read below...
Our attention has been drawn to reports making the rounds, especially on internet-based media, that President Muhammadu Buhari received $300,000.00 and up to five armoured SUVs from the Office of the National Security Adviser in the aftermath of the attack on his convoy in Kaduna last year. We unequivocally deny that President Buhari received $300,000.00 or any monetary compensation whatsoever from the Jonathan Presidency or any of its officials, in the aftermath of that attack, or at any other time since then.
While it is true that one armoured SUV and one untreated SUV were sent to the President in the aftermath of the attack, the vehicles were in keeping with his entitlements as a former Head of State under the Remuneration of Former Presidents and Heads of State (And other Ancillary Matters) Decree of 1999. Section 3, Sub Section 1 of that Decree provides that three vehicles will be provided for former heads of state and replaced every four years. There was therefore nothing untoward, illegal or tending to corruption in former Head of State Buhari and Presidential aspirant, as he then was, receiving vehicles, to which he was statutorily entitled , from the Federal Government of Nigeria. President Buhari had in keeping with his austere, spartan and frugal disposition shunned most of his entitlements as a former Head of State, but was prevailed upon by his supporters to accept the two vehicles for his personal safety in the aftermath of the dastardly attempt to assassinate him. It is preposterous to think that the President will allow his acclaimed reputation of honesty and incorruptibility to be tarnished by accepting a questionable monetary compensation from a discredited regime.
Femi Adesina Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity)
December 15, 2015
Our attention has been drawn to reports making the rounds, especially on internet-based media, that President Muhammadu Buhari received $300,000.00 and up to five armoured SUVs from the Office of the National Security Adviser in the aftermath of the attack on his convoy in Kaduna last year. We unequivocally deny that President Buhari received $300,000.00 or any monetary compensation whatsoever from the Jonathan Presidency or any of its officials, in the aftermath of that attack, or at any other time since then.
While it is true that one armoured SUV and one untreated SUV were sent to the President in the aftermath of the attack, the vehicles were in keeping with his entitlements as a former Head of State under the Remuneration of Former Presidents and Heads of State (And other Ancillary Matters) Decree of 1999. Section 3, Sub Section 1 of that Decree provides that three vehicles will be provided for former heads of state and replaced every four years. There was therefore nothing untoward, illegal or tending to corruption in former Head of State Buhari and Presidential aspirant, as he then was, receiving vehicles, to which he was statutorily entitled , from the Federal Government of Nigeria. President Buhari had in keeping with his austere, spartan and frugal disposition shunned most of his entitlements as a former Head of State, but was prevailed upon by his supporters to accept the two vehicles for his personal safety in the aftermath of the dastardly attempt to assassinate him. It is preposterous to think that the President will allow his acclaimed reputation of honesty and incorruptibility to be tarnished by accepting a questionable monetary compensation from a discredited regime.
Femi Adesina Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity)
December 15, 2015
Former NIMASA boss dragged into a waiting bus by EFCC officials: Video
Information culled from LIB has it that EFCC officials literally dragged former Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA boss Patrick Ziadeke Akpobolokemi into their waiting bus after they stormed the Federal High Court to effect his arrest today Dec 14th.
According to PM News, the embattled former Director General of NIMASA who has been arraigned before two different courts of the federal high court on charges of stealing and conversion of money running into billions of Naira, was just coming from a court presided over by justice Ibrahim Buba, where one the cases was adjourned till 18th January, 2016 for trial and was about to enter his car outside the court when he was accosted by two EFCC operatives and two armed mobile policemen.
See the video through the link below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-CXV64rgaI&ebc=ANyPxKpSDcH_DGZbypCnmb4K-R13S6JtL47L5T0wPRCQa58BeDvzi_GobUFJ2F5QAF4rlSyz_oUGbJxorOCKu2-B4Zru9Hjftw
According to PM News, the embattled former Director General of NIMASA who has been arraigned before two different courts of the federal high court on charges of stealing and conversion of money running into billions of Naira, was just coming from a court presided over by justice Ibrahim Buba, where one the cases was adjourned till 18th January, 2016 for trial and was about to enter his car outside the court when he was accosted by two EFCC operatives and two armed mobile policemen.
See the video through the link below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-CXV64rgaI&ebc=ANyPxKpSDcH_DGZbypCnmb4K-R13S6JtL47L5T0wPRCQa58BeDvzi_GobUFJ2F5QAF4rlSyz_oUGbJxorOCKu2-B4Zru9Hjftw
I Did Not Collect N240Million From Dasuki Says Linda Ikeji
Popular Blogger, Linda Ikeji has denied receiving N240million from former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
Linda Ikeji had to issue the denial after one Kayode Ogundamisi tweeted that a popular female blogger in Lagos state received N240million from Dasuki.
See tweet alongside Linda Ikeji's denial below:
linda accused.png
So, social commentator and activist Kayode Ogundamisi tweeted this today...he didn't mention any names but I am now trending on Twitter. Many assume he's talking about me...and you can't blame them really. He said...popular! I'm somewhat popular! He said female.. I'm female...duh! Lol. He said Lagos...I live in Lagos...in a posh place called Banana Island..lol. #Flipsweave! #Just teasing!
So people are reacting and some actually believe it! That PDP or someone in the party gave me N240m? For what? Advert? This was why I didn't want to get politics advert money in the first place o...and but then some of you advised that I do when I asked here and now see the gbege that I have entered...lol.
But seriously for the record...no party registered or unregistered, no human being dead or alive gave me N240m for anything. The only advert I did for PDP was a page background take-over for former president Jonathan... and they asked for the space after I did a page background take-over for APC's Akinwunmi Ambode. (I'm sure you all saw it). The two parties paid me same amount. I had a politics advert rate which I sent to everyone who wanted to advertise on LIB! And it was a few millions ...which some of you followed to chop inside in the giveaway that April...lol. #Kidding!
Anyway, all these bad belle people looking for ways to bring a woman down...like I always say...you can't! Except you're mightier than God! Whether you like it or not, I'm a hardworking young woman who God chose to bless the work of her hand and is using me to bless others. Get over it! I am here to stay! Not going nowhere! *wink*. Make I go find una more news ojare!
LIB/Nigerianbulletin
Linda Ikeji had to issue the denial after one Kayode Ogundamisi tweeted that a popular female blogger in Lagos state received N240million from Dasuki.
See tweet alongside Linda Ikeji's denial below:
linda accused.png
So, social commentator and activist Kayode Ogundamisi tweeted this today...he didn't mention any names but I am now trending on Twitter. Many assume he's talking about me...and you can't blame them really. He said...popular! I'm somewhat popular! He said female.. I'm female...duh! Lol. He said Lagos...I live in Lagos...in a posh place called Banana Island..lol. #Flipsweave! #Just teasing!
So people are reacting and some actually believe it! That PDP or someone in the party gave me N240m? For what? Advert? This was why I didn't want to get politics advert money in the first place o...and but then some of you advised that I do when I asked here and now see the gbege that I have entered...lol.
But seriously for the record...no party registered or unregistered, no human being dead or alive gave me N240m for anything. The only advert I did for PDP was a page background take-over for former president Jonathan... and they asked for the space after I did a page background take-over for APC's Akinwunmi Ambode. (I'm sure you all saw it). The two parties paid me same amount. I had a politics advert rate which I sent to everyone who wanted to advertise on LIB! And it was a few millions ...which some of you followed to chop inside in the giveaway that April...lol. #Kidding!
Anyway, all these bad belle people looking for ways to bring a woman down...like I always say...you can't! Except you're mightier than God! Whether you like it or not, I'm a hardworking young woman who God chose to bless the work of her hand and is using me to bless others. Get over it! I am here to stay! Not going nowhere! *wink*. Make I go find una more news ojare!
LIB/Nigerianbulletin
Army/Shiite clash: I escaped by the will of God — Buratai
* Death toll hits 1,000, says sect spokesman
* El-Zakzaky, wife in our custody
By Henry Umoru, Luka Binniyat, Joseph Erunke & Mayen Etim
ABUJA—CHIEF of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said yesterday it was by divine intervention that he escaped being assassinated on Saturday, by members of the Shiites Muslim sect.
The sect on its part claimed that at least one thousand of its members had been killed and that soldiers had evacuated their bodies following the weekend clash between its members and the military.
The Nigerian Army also said “the leader of the Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife are in the custody of the Nigerian Army, “safe and sound” in a secured and protective custody.”
The army boss said contrary to claim that members of the Shiites group were not armed, they were not only heavily armed but also violently confronted him and his convoy on his way to Zaria.
The Army chief spoke to newsmen at the National Assembly complex, shortly after attending an interactive meeting called by the Senate Committee on Defence, for service chiefs.
“You want to know how I escaped? It was by the will of God that I was able to escape from the place,”he said, while advising citizens to be law abiding wherever they are.
Insisting that the group was violent, Buratai stressed: “ I think NTA was there and they aired the clip, it was very clear . They were violent and the clip is there.”
Meanwhile, the sect spokesman, Ibrahim Musa said. “We have reports that bodies of our members killed outside the house of our leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky are being evacuated in trucks by soldiers and our leader was arrested this morning (yesterday) in his demolished home by soldiers where he had been holed up in a room that was spared from the fire that gutted the house from grenades.”
Ibrahim Musa, in a statement he issued in Kaduna alleged that the army was not only selectively killing its members yesterday, but it had instigated the public to join in the killings.
The Nigeria Police, and Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) were mute yesterday over the claims.
El-Zakzaky, wife in our custody — Army
The Nigerian Army said yesterday that the leader of the Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife are in its custody “safe and sound” in a secured and protective custody,
Addressing a late evening press conference yesterday, the General Officer Commanding, GOC, 1 Division of Nigerian Army, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade said the order given to the troops was to ensure that the sect leader was taken into a safe custody and as at 09:15am he was brought into the custody the Army with his wife and some family members.
The GOC further said that the sect leader would soon be allowed access to his members.
General Oyebade added that in the course of operation there were casualties on both sides, but did not mention the number of casualties.
He said: “On December 12, 2015, myself and the Commissioner of Police were with President Muhammadu Buhari who was in the state for an assignment when I received a distress call that the life of the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai was threatened by some hoodlums who blocked his way on Sokoto road in Zaria city.
“After much persuasions from senior officers on the entourage, the hoodlums who were later identified as Shi’ites members remain adamant and in line with our rules of engagement, we have no option but to clear the road for the COAS and in the course of doing that, the hoodlums started throwing missiles on us; and our men responded which resulted to minimum casualties.
“From there we received information that they have started mobilizing in one of their temples at Husainiyya, the resident of the leader at Gyellesu and on Dambo road. That was on Saturday night, this lead to a long night of battle.
“We have nothing against the Shi’ites because they’re all Nigerians and our duty is also to protect them. But we cannot tolerate them forming a government within a government. I call on all shi’ites members to be law abiding and go about their religious activities without tampering with the freedom of others,” he said.
In its own statement, Shiite said: “Following the brutal attack on the Islamic Movement in Nigeria by the Nigerian Army in Zaria where scores have been extra-judicially killed, we wish to state as follows: “A source has confirmed that the Army has taken the revered leader of the Movement, Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) from his house this morning and is receiving treatment for injuries he sustained during the attack.
“About a thousand of members of the Movement have been massacred at the moment as counting continues, but the soldiers are now busy evacuating the dead bodies to unknown destination.
“There are hundreds of others that have received various degrees of injuries that are in need of assistance that have currently been denied access by the soldiers on ground who are in a killing spree, shooting anyone identified as a member of the Movement.
“The army is deliberately exploiting religious sectarian sentiment to instigate uninformed public, some of whom are now busy killing innocent and unarmed members of the Movement at sight using local weapons.
”The Army is at present dressing corpses of members of the Movement with their military attire and snapping still pictures to probably display them as soldiers killed by the Movement during the attack as a means of propaganda, whereas it was solely an attack by the army on armless citizens.”
“The army has also stationed road blocks in Zaria picking out innocent unarmed people that look like members of the Movement and killing them in cold block. Even today they put an army road block in Zaria to Kaduna highway near Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, searching for any member of the Islamic Movement. The most weird of many of such cases is that of an army road block at Dogarawa near Zaria where they killed thirty of our members traveling to Zaria yesterday Sunday.
“We wish to state here that some of those earlier declared dead through various sources might not have been killed but might be severely injured and in need of assistance.
“In connection with the above mentioned, we wish to declare as follows:
“Members of the Movement should be allowed immediate access to Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) as a means of taming the the situation from aggravating unnecessarily.
“We believe that the army is clearing the corpses to unknown locations for mass burials to cover up for it’s crime. We hereby demand unequivocally that they should release the corpses to us, so that we can give them a proper Islamic burial. The people they killed are not foreigners, they are citizens with their relatives known.
“The Army should stop the unnecessary stage management of the whole incident making it look like what it is not through false and provocative press statements, incitements and ground activities which might not augur well for everyone.
“Access to health facilities should immediately be allowed to those injured anywhere in Zaria.
“We believe that this incident is planned and executed by the government which has been looking the other way while the army was killing members of the Movement for a period of over 27 hours from Saturday on without any statement and is still quiet as the army continues with its killing spree.
“The Islamic Movement in Nigeria is a peaceful and unarmed Movement with members in every cadre of the society that are entitled to every rights enjoyed by every other Nigerian, including religious rights, whose fundamental rights have been trampled upon by the government in its claim to be fighting against violent extremism, but instead spreading violence and hatred using state machinery.
“Finally, as the Army continues its genocide on members of the Movement, with support of the government, we hereby call on peace lovers and the international community to join us in condemning the act for it is virtually ridiculous to think that the government can kill the millions of members of the Movement”.
Meanwhile, Vanguard findings showed that normalcy has returned to the affected parts of Zaria town and government offices, markets, shops and other business activities as well as bus town services had commenced.
But Banks in Zaria remained under lock and key.
“We are grateful things are gradually coming back to shape,” said Makama Sani, to our reporter on phone.
“As I am taking to you now I am just from PZ area, I went round Sabongari and came back to Tudun Wada area,” he said.
Vanguard
* El-Zakzaky, wife in our custody
By Henry Umoru, Luka Binniyat, Joseph Erunke & Mayen Etim
ABUJA—CHIEF of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said yesterday it was by divine intervention that he escaped being assassinated on Saturday, by members of the Shiites Muslim sect.
The sect on its part claimed that at least one thousand of its members had been killed and that soldiers had evacuated their bodies following the weekend clash between its members and the military.
The Nigerian Army also said “the leader of the Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife are in the custody of the Nigerian Army, “safe and sound” in a secured and protective custody.”
The army boss said contrary to claim that members of the Shiites group were not armed, they were not only heavily armed but also violently confronted him and his convoy on his way to Zaria.
The Army chief spoke to newsmen at the National Assembly complex, shortly after attending an interactive meeting called by the Senate Committee on Defence, for service chiefs.
“You want to know how I escaped? It was by the will of God that I was able to escape from the place,”he said, while advising citizens to be law abiding wherever they are.
Insisting that the group was violent, Buratai stressed: “ I think NTA was there and they aired the clip, it was very clear . They were violent and the clip is there.”
Meanwhile, the sect spokesman, Ibrahim Musa said. “We have reports that bodies of our members killed outside the house of our leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky are being evacuated in trucks by soldiers and our leader was arrested this morning (yesterday) in his demolished home by soldiers where he had been holed up in a room that was spared from the fire that gutted the house from grenades.”
Ibrahim Musa, in a statement he issued in Kaduna alleged that the army was not only selectively killing its members yesterday, but it had instigated the public to join in the killings.
The Nigeria Police, and Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) were mute yesterday over the claims.
El-Zakzaky, wife in our custody — Army
The Nigerian Army said yesterday that the leader of the Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife are in its custody “safe and sound” in a secured and protective custody,
Addressing a late evening press conference yesterday, the General Officer Commanding, GOC, 1 Division of Nigerian Army, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade said the order given to the troops was to ensure that the sect leader was taken into a safe custody and as at 09:15am he was brought into the custody the Army with his wife and some family members.
The GOC further said that the sect leader would soon be allowed access to his members.
General Oyebade added that in the course of operation there were casualties on both sides, but did not mention the number of casualties.
He said: “On December 12, 2015, myself and the Commissioner of Police were with President Muhammadu Buhari who was in the state for an assignment when I received a distress call that the life of the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai was threatened by some hoodlums who blocked his way on Sokoto road in Zaria city.
“After much persuasions from senior officers on the entourage, the hoodlums who were later identified as Shi’ites members remain adamant and in line with our rules of engagement, we have no option but to clear the road for the COAS and in the course of doing that, the hoodlums started throwing missiles on us; and our men responded which resulted to minimum casualties.
“From there we received information that they have started mobilizing in one of their temples at Husainiyya, the resident of the leader at Gyellesu and on Dambo road. That was on Saturday night, this lead to a long night of battle.
“We have nothing against the Shi’ites because they’re all Nigerians and our duty is also to protect them. But we cannot tolerate them forming a government within a government. I call on all shi’ites members to be law abiding and go about their religious activities without tampering with the freedom of others,” he said.
In its own statement, Shiite said: “Following the brutal attack on the Islamic Movement in Nigeria by the Nigerian Army in Zaria where scores have been extra-judicially killed, we wish to state as follows: “A source has confirmed that the Army has taken the revered leader of the Movement, Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) from his house this morning and is receiving treatment for injuries he sustained during the attack.
“About a thousand of members of the Movement have been massacred at the moment as counting continues, but the soldiers are now busy evacuating the dead bodies to unknown destination.
“There are hundreds of others that have received various degrees of injuries that are in need of assistance that have currently been denied access by the soldiers on ground who are in a killing spree, shooting anyone identified as a member of the Movement.
“The army is deliberately exploiting religious sectarian sentiment to instigate uninformed public, some of whom are now busy killing innocent and unarmed members of the Movement at sight using local weapons.
”The Army is at present dressing corpses of members of the Movement with their military attire and snapping still pictures to probably display them as soldiers killed by the Movement during the attack as a means of propaganda, whereas it was solely an attack by the army on armless citizens.”
“The army has also stationed road blocks in Zaria picking out innocent unarmed people that look like members of the Movement and killing them in cold block. Even today they put an army road block in Zaria to Kaduna highway near Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, searching for any member of the Islamic Movement. The most weird of many of such cases is that of an army road block at Dogarawa near Zaria where they killed thirty of our members traveling to Zaria yesterday Sunday.
“We wish to state here that some of those earlier declared dead through various sources might not have been killed but might be severely injured and in need of assistance.
“In connection with the above mentioned, we wish to declare as follows:
“Members of the Movement should be allowed immediate access to Sayyid Ibraheem Zakzaky (H) as a means of taming the the situation from aggravating unnecessarily.
“We believe that the army is clearing the corpses to unknown locations for mass burials to cover up for it’s crime. We hereby demand unequivocally that they should release the corpses to us, so that we can give them a proper Islamic burial. The people they killed are not foreigners, they are citizens with their relatives known.
“The Army should stop the unnecessary stage management of the whole incident making it look like what it is not through false and provocative press statements, incitements and ground activities which might not augur well for everyone.
“Access to health facilities should immediately be allowed to those injured anywhere in Zaria.
“We believe that this incident is planned and executed by the government which has been looking the other way while the army was killing members of the Movement for a period of over 27 hours from Saturday on without any statement and is still quiet as the army continues with its killing spree.
“The Islamic Movement in Nigeria is a peaceful and unarmed Movement with members in every cadre of the society that are entitled to every rights enjoyed by every other Nigerian, including religious rights, whose fundamental rights have been trampled upon by the government in its claim to be fighting against violent extremism, but instead spreading violence and hatred using state machinery.
“Finally, as the Army continues its genocide on members of the Movement, with support of the government, we hereby call on peace lovers and the international community to join us in condemning the act for it is virtually ridiculous to think that the government can kill the millions of members of the Movement”.
Meanwhile, Vanguard findings showed that normalcy has returned to the affected parts of Zaria town and government offices, markets, shops and other business activities as well as bus town services had commenced.
But Banks in Zaria remained under lock and key.
“We are grateful things are gradually coming back to shape,” said Makama Sani, to our reporter on phone.
“As I am taking to you now I am just from PZ area, I went round Sabongari and came back to Tudun Wada area,” he said.
Vanguard
Arms probe: Dasuki set to name more beneficiaries
As details of huge funds disbursed by the Office of the National Security Adviser under Col. Sambo Dasuki continue to surface, indications emerged last night that the embattled security czar is set to expose more top Nigerian leaders who benefited from the funds.
A source close to the former NSA, who was docked yesterday, told Vanguard that Dasuki who was arraigned yesterday alongside others on a fresh 19-count charge was ready to speak up on how the funds earmarked for his office was disbursed with details of top serving and retired Nigerian leaders who benefitted immensely from the money, which is now a subject of litigation.
Meanwhile, former Minister of State, Finance, Bashir Yuguda ,former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, former Director of Finance in the Office of the NSA, Mr. Salisu, Sagir Attahiru and a company the EFCC insisted was used to divert huge sums of money from the office of the NSA prior to the 2015 general elections, Dahaltu Investment Limited will be arraigned today even as Chairman Emeritus of Daar Communications was admitted to bail yesterday.
Dasuki to expose more
According to the source close to the former NSA, it had become necessary for Dasuki to expose the first in the series of the top beneficiaries, which include former heads of state and presidents, who were bought bullet-proof Sports Utility Vehicles by the ONSA with funds approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Click the link below to read more
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/12/arms-probe-dasuki-set-to-name-more-beneficiaries/
A source close to the former NSA, who was docked yesterday, told Vanguard that Dasuki who was arraigned yesterday alongside others on a fresh 19-count charge was ready to speak up on how the funds earmarked for his office was disbursed with details of top serving and retired Nigerian leaders who benefitted immensely from the money, which is now a subject of litigation.
Meanwhile, former Minister of State, Finance, Bashir Yuguda ,former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, former Director of Finance in the Office of the NSA, Mr. Salisu, Sagir Attahiru and a company the EFCC insisted was used to divert huge sums of money from the office of the NSA prior to the 2015 general elections, Dahaltu Investment Limited will be arraigned today even as Chairman Emeritus of Daar Communications was admitted to bail yesterday.
Dasuki to expose more
According to the source close to the former NSA, it had become necessary for Dasuki to expose the first in the series of the top beneficiaries, which include former heads of state and presidents, who were bought bullet-proof Sports Utility Vehicles by the ONSA with funds approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Click the link below to read more
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/12/arms-probe-dasuki-set-to-name-more-beneficiaries/
Monday, 14 December 2015
Crude Oil:Emergency Opec meeting aired as Russia braces for sub-$30 oil
Lower quality oil is already selling below $30 on global markets
Oil markets are becoming dangerous with no grown-up in charge. Spare capacity is wafer-thin, despite the glut, and any upset could trigger an oil shock
Opec will be forced to call an emergency meeting within weeks to stabilize the market if crude prices fail to rebound after crashing to eight-year lows of $35 a barrel, two of the oil cartel's member states have warned.
Emmanuel Kachikwu, Nigeria’s oil minister and Opec president until last week, said the group is still hoping that the market will recover by February as low prices squeeze out excess production from US shale, Russia and the North Sea, but nerves are beginning to fray.
“If it [the oil price] doesn’t [recover], then obviously we’re in for a very urgent meeting,” he said. Indonesia has issued similar warnings over recent days, suggesting that the Opec majority may try to force a meeting if Saudi Arabia’s strategy of flooding the market pushes everybody into deeper crisis.
The comments came as Brent crude plunged to $36.76 as the fall-out from Opec’s deeply-divided meeting earlier this month continued. Prices are now within a whisker of their Lehman-crisis lows in 2008. West Texas crude dropped to $34.54 before rebounding in late trading.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/12050437/Emergency-Opec-meeting-aired-as-Russia-braces-for-sub-30-oil.html
EFCC docks Dasuki, Yuguda, others on fresh charges today
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will today arraign the embattled former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), before an Abuja High Court on fresh charges bordering on alleged illegal diversion of public funds.
The commission has already secured leave of court to compel Dasuki and eight others, including a former Minister under President Goodluck Jonathan, to enter their plea today before trial Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf of the FCT High Court sitting at Maitama.
Others the anti-graft agency dragged before the court over their alleged complicity in a N10 billion fraud, include the former Minister of Finance, Bashir Yuguda and a former Director of Finance in the Office of the NSA, Mr. Shuaibu Salisu.
Equally to be docked before the court today are former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, Sagir Attahiru and a company the EFCC insisted was used to divert huge sums of money from the office of the NSA prior to the 2015 general elections, Dahaltu Investment Limited.
Others are former Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Commission, NNPC, Aminu Baba-Kusa, as well as his companies, Acacia Holding Limited and Reliance Referal Hospital Limited.
Vanguard
The commission has already secured leave of court to compel Dasuki and eight others, including a former Minister under President Goodluck Jonathan, to enter their plea today before trial Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf of the FCT High Court sitting at Maitama.
Others the anti-graft agency dragged before the court over their alleged complicity in a N10 billion fraud, include the former Minister of Finance, Bashir Yuguda and a former Director of Finance in the Office of the NSA, Mr. Shuaibu Salisu.
Equally to be docked before the court today are former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, Sagir Attahiru and a company the EFCC insisted was used to divert huge sums of money from the office of the NSA prior to the 2015 general elections, Dahaltu Investment Limited.
Others are former Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Commission, NNPC, Aminu Baba-Kusa, as well as his companies, Acacia Holding Limited and Reliance Referal Hospital Limited.
Vanguard
Burundi crisis: US tells its citizens to leave
The US state department is warning Americans not to travel to Burundi as political violence there increases.
A travel warning issued on Sunday urges US citizens in the central African country to leave "as soon as it is feasible to do so".
On Friday, 87 people were killed after three military sites were attacked, Burundi's army said.
US rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Sunday called for an investigation into the killings.
Protests in Burundi began in April when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would seek a third term in office.
Last month, Belgium advised its citizens to leave Burundi, while the EU cut staff levels, temporarily evacuating employees' "families and part of the non-essential staff".
"As a result of continuing violence, the Department of State ordered the departure of dependents of US government personnel and non-emergency US government personnel from Burundi," the US statement read.
"The US Embassy is able to offer only very limited emergency services to US citizens in Burundi."
It also gave advice for citizens who may encounter violence, advising them to stay indoors in ground floor rooms, away from doors and windows.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35087894
A travel warning issued on Sunday urges US citizens in the central African country to leave "as soon as it is feasible to do so".
On Friday, 87 people were killed after three military sites were attacked, Burundi's army said.
US rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Sunday called for an investigation into the killings.
Protests in Burundi began in April when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would seek a third term in office.
Last month, Belgium advised its citizens to leave Burundi, while the EU cut staff levels, temporarily evacuating employees' "families and part of the non-essential staff".
"As a result of continuing violence, the Department of State ordered the departure of dependents of US government personnel and non-emergency US government personnel from Burundi," the US statement read.
"The US Embassy is able to offer only very limited emergency services to US citizens in Burundi."
It also gave advice for citizens who may encounter violence, advising them to stay indoors in ground floor rooms, away from doors and windows.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35087894
Boris Johnson: Denmark offers answer to Cameron's EU crisis
Treaty derogation that allows Denmark to impose residency tests on property purchases examined in Brussels as compromise to rescue David Cameron's floundering benefits curb plan
David Cameron must be granted a Danish-style opt out from free movement rules in order to get his ban on migrant benefits, Boris Johnson says, ahead of a summit this week which will determine Britain’s future in the European Union.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, the London Mayor said an exemption from EU rules that allows Denmark to ban non-residents from buying homes could be emulated by the UK to impose waiting times on benefits.
• Boris Johnson: If Denmark can treat foreigners differently, then so can Britain
Click the link below to read more
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/12048580/Boris-Johnson-Denmark-offers-answer-to-Camerons-EU-crisis.html
David Cameron must be granted a Danish-style opt out from free movement rules in order to get his ban on migrant benefits, Boris Johnson says, ahead of a summit this week which will determine Britain’s future in the European Union.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, the London Mayor said an exemption from EU rules that allows Denmark to ban non-residents from buying homes could be emulated by the UK to impose waiting times on benefits.
• Boris Johnson: If Denmark can treat foreigners differently, then so can Britain
Click the link below to read more
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/12048580/Boris-Johnson-Denmark-offers-answer-to-Camerons-EU-crisis.html
Sunday, 13 December 2015
BLEAK CHRISTMAS AHEAD: Bankruptcy fear hits states!
Amid deepening cash crunch, there is the fear that many states across the county are increasingly finding it difficult to meet their financial obligations.
1000-naira-notesBogged down by huge debts for which the bulk of the allocations from the Federation Account is deducted to service, the situation has eroded the ability of the states to pay workers’ salaries.
The bailout package initiated by the Federal Government for the state and local governments to enable them pay the backlog of salaries, it was learnt, provided little respite.
Analysts feared, at the weekend, that many workers across the country may face bleak Christmas as their state governments may be unable to pay salaries ahead of the Yuletide due to the cash crunch.
Salary payment in several states remain in arrears of many months.
The huge debts of some of the debts were blamed on the sliding Naira as they were denominated in dollars at the time the states took foreign loans, and the fate of the Naira at the forex market was under control.
Today, the Naira exchanges for over 240 to the dollar.
In July 2014, N630.32bn was allocated to the three tiers of government – federal, states and local governments – from the Federation Account. Later in August of some year, N601.65bn was allocated to the states. For September 2015, the figures just released indicate that N389.936 was shared by all the tiers of government; representing drops of 35% and 38% from the August and July 2014 allocations. Yet, N601bn in August represented a sharp decline from the previous months in 2014. At the moment, the three tiers of government are sharing less than half of what was available in January 2014.
Click the link below to read more
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/12/bleak-christmas-ahead-bankruptcy-fear-hits-states/
1000-naira-notesBogged down by huge debts for which the bulk of the allocations from the Federation Account is deducted to service, the situation has eroded the ability of the states to pay workers’ salaries.
The bailout package initiated by the Federal Government for the state and local governments to enable them pay the backlog of salaries, it was learnt, provided little respite.
Analysts feared, at the weekend, that many workers across the country may face bleak Christmas as their state governments may be unable to pay salaries ahead of the Yuletide due to the cash crunch.
Salary payment in several states remain in arrears of many months.
The huge debts of some of the debts were blamed on the sliding Naira as they were denominated in dollars at the time the states took foreign loans, and the fate of the Naira at the forex market was under control.
Today, the Naira exchanges for over 240 to the dollar.
In July 2014, N630.32bn was allocated to the three tiers of government – federal, states and local governments – from the Federation Account. Later in August of some year, N601.65bn was allocated to the states. For September 2015, the figures just released indicate that N389.936 was shared by all the tiers of government; representing drops of 35% and 38% from the August and July 2014 allocations. Yet, N601bn in August represented a sharp decline from the previous months in 2014. At the moment, the three tiers of government are sharing less than half of what was available in January 2014.
Click the link below to read more
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/12/bleak-christmas-ahead-bankruptcy-fear-hits-states/
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