CCB Slams 13-Count Corruption Charges On Senate President

The Code of Conduct Bureau last Friday filed a 13-Count charge of corruption against the Senate President , Dr Bukola Saraki.

In charge no ABT/01/15 dated 11 September 2015, Dr Saraki is accused of among other things making false and anticipatory declaration of assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau on assumption of office as governor of Kwara State.

According to the charge sheet signed by a Deputy Director in the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, M. S. Hassan and filed before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Dr Saraki is also accused of failing to declare assets he acquired while in office, acquiring assets beyond his legitimate income and operating foreign accounts as a public officer in contravention of the law.

The offences according to the charge sheet contravened sections of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.

The country's number three citizen is also said to be in breach of Section 2 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act and punishable under paragraph 9 of the said Fifth Schedule of the Constitution.

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Chibok Girls : Boko Haram Demands Release Of Bomb Maker

Terror group, Boko Haram has given the release from custody of the key suspect in the production of Improvised Explosive Devices as their condition for the release of the Chibok Girls.

President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed this in France on Tuesday during a meeting with the Nigerian community.

He said ; “They wanted us to release one of their leaders who is a strategic person in developing and making IEDs which have been causing a lot of havoc in the country by blowing up people in churches, mosques, market places, motor parks and other places.

“But it is very important that if we are going to talk to anybody,we have to know how much he is worth.

“Let them bring all the girls and then, we will be prepared to negotiate.  I will allow them to come back to Nigeria or to be absorbed into the community. We have to be very careful; the concern we have for the Chibok girls, one can only imagine if they got a daughter there between 14 and 18 years and for more than one and a half years, a lot of the parents who have died would rather see the graves of their daughters rather than the condition they imagine they were in.

“This has drawn a lot of sympathy throughout the world; that is why this government is getting very hard in negotiating and getting the balance of those who are alive.”

The president assured Nigerians that his government was doing everything possible to secure the release of the Chibok girls.

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WHO, UNICEF Battle Cholera Outbreak In Maiduguri IDP Camps

The WHO and UNICEF are currently battling an outbreak of cholera in three Internally Displaced Persons camps in Maiduguri, Borno State, which has left 16 people dead and 172 in critical condition.

A health official working with UNICEF said that the terrible situation started suddenly and spread very quickly.

“At the last count, we have 16 dead and about 172 affected. We are in an emergency health situation in those camps, " he said.

Sources at the camps disclosed that security operatives prevented the affected IDPs from leaving the camps to forestall the spread of the disease outside.

It was also disclosed that the cholera patients have been quarantined while preventive medicine is being administered to the rest of the IDPs.

Another health official lamented the filthy condition of the camps which he said were always littered with all kinds of waste. He urged the IDPs to maintain a clean environment while everything is done to bring the situation under control.

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FIRS Bans Consultants From Revenue Collection

Henceforth, consultants will no longer be allowed to assess or collect revenue for the federal government. This is in accordance with a directive issued by the Acting Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, Mr Tunde Fowler.

Mr Fowler disclosed this in Abuja on Monday during a meeting with members of the Joint Tax Board, JTB. He said that from now on, consultants will only be hired for the purpose of gathering data.

“To improve the levels of transparency and accountability, these consultants will only gather data. The law does not allow them to do assessment or collect revenue on behalf of government. They are just to assist our staff to collect data,” he said.

He added that FIRS would work with states' boards of internal revenue to assess taxes payable and issue demand notices.

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Chibok Girls : Buhari In Negotiations With Boko Haram

President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed on Tuesday that his administration has been holding talks with the leadership of militant group Boko Haram over the release of the Chibok Girlsb.

The president said this in France during a meeting with meeting with members of the Nigerians In Diaspora Organization, NIDO. He said that his government was disturbed by the continued stay of the girls in captivity.

According to President Buhari,  "The issue of Chibok girls has occupied our minds and because of the international attention it drew and the sympathy through out the country and the world, the government is negotiating with some of the Boko Haram leadership."

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Frequent Conflicts, Refugee Crisis Embarrassing - Buhari

Frequent conflicts in Africa which have led to huge refugee situations and displacement of people across borders are embarrassing, says President Muhammadu Buhari.

As a way out, he called on African Union, AU's Peace and Security Council (PAC) and regional economic communities to coordinate and harmonise their efforts more effectively to arrest insecurity on the continent.

Buhari made the call in Abuja at the Peace and Security Council retreat on the enhancement of cooperation between the AU Peace and Security Council and the regional economic communities on promotion of peace, security and stability in Africa.

He was represented at the event by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. He said ;
”In wishing you every success in these collective efforts for peace and security in Africa I would like to remind that attention should've focused on how the Peace and Security Council and the regional economic communities can enhance effectiveness and efficiency using their comparative advantages and various capacities within the context of subsidiarity and complementarity in the areas of early warning and early action, conflict prevention, peace-making, post-conflict peace building, reconstruction and development, strengthening of democratic practices and good governance as well as in combating terrorism and violent extremism."

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Buhari Salutes Bamanga Tukur At 80

President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a goodwill message to foremost industrialist and politician, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur who turned 80 today.

The president commended the elder statesman's exemplary political maturity and commitment to the peace and development of the country.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adeshina said that Buhari seized the occasion of Bamanga Tukur's 80th birthday to express the nation's appreciation for his enduring contributions to the country's political and economic development.

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