How Jonathan's $37m secured victory for Fayose - PDP Secretary

A former Secretary of the Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Temitope Aluko has narrated how former President Goodluck Jonathan gave Governor Ayo Fayose $37m in cash to prosecute the June 21, 2014 governorship election in the state.

Aluko who was a member of Fayose's campaign team alleged that Jonathan gave Fayose $2m in March 2014 for the PDP primary election.

He said that the money was delivered at the NNPC towers, Abuja by petroleum products marketer, Ifeanyi Uba. It was then taken to Fayose's Abuja home for onward transmission to Ekiti.

His words:
“Immediately after the primary election, we collected another$35 million from Jonathan on June 17, 2014. The money was brought to us by the former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.

“We all assembled in front of Spotless Hotel, Ado-Ekiti, owned by Fayose. Thereafter, the cash was taken to a Bureau De Change in Onitsha  where, with the support of Chris Uba, it was converted to N4.7 billion."

Aluko also disclosed how Fayose used the military and security agencies to win the governorship election.

“The former President agreed with Fayose and summoned a security meeting at the Presidential Villa for the purpose of the election.

“Those at the meeting were the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, then Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimmah and former PDP National Chairman Adamu Mu’azu.

“Others included Fayose, Senator Iyiola Omisore, then Minister of Police Affairs Jelili Adesiyan and Obanikoro.

“At that meeting, the former President made it clear to the ex-Chief of Defence Staff that Fayose would stand for him (as Commander-in-Chief) in terms of providing security for the election.”

He said that after the meeting, Fayose approached the then
Commander of the Army Brigade in Akure, Brig.-Gen. Dikko, to 'take charge of the election for the PDP.'

“But Gen. Dikko did not give us audience. He stated bluntly that he would not be available for such operation. So Fayose sponsored a petition against him, which led to his replacement with Brig.-Gen. Aliyu Momoh who was amenable to our plans."

Aluko explained that armed with a huge war chest, Fayose's team proceeded to recruit four carefully selected stalwarts from each of the 16 local government areas of the state, making it a total of 64

“They gave detailed information regarding names and locations of opposition members in all the local governments, the various routes, areas of strength and weaknesses of the PDP in the 16 local government councils.

“Today, most of these 64 men are members of the Senate, House of Representatives, State House of Assembly, commissioners, local government chairmen, special advisers and the rest.

“We went into the election with 1040 recognised soldiers and another batch of 400 unrecognised soldiers brought from Enugu by Chief Chris Uba.

“In addition, we raised 44 Special Strike teams, brought in Toyota Hilux trucks from Abuja and Onitsha. We made special stickers for the vehicles that conveyed members of the Strike Team and black hand bands for each of them.

“Each Strike Team was made up of 10 members headed by a soldier and comprising soldiers, policemen, DSS operatives and Civil Defence Corps. They were detailed to attack and arrest prominent APC chieftains in all the local governments.

“We set up anchorage, mainly residential houses, in every local government where the Strike Team members collected their welfare and other allowances.

“To encourage the Strike Team members, we gave them orders to share money and other valuables they could lay their hands on in the houses of APC chieftains they raided.

“Then we set up detention camps, mainly in primary schools, where most of the APC chieftains were detained. Others were detained in police stations where the DPOs were friendly with us. We let them off after the election was over.

“A day to the election, we used the military to block all routes in the local governments and prevented APC chieftains, including former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, from coming into Ekiti.

“So we ensured that no APC chieftain was in sight on election day. We provided polling agents for the APC in most of the polling units so we had no problem getting them to sign election results in the units.

“All these local and foreign observes that described the election as free and fair only witnessed the voting on election day without knowing what transpired before the voting.”

Aluko said he was fully involved in the plot with Fayose from the very beginning till the conclusion of the election.

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How Nigeria spent N20 trillion on fuel importation in five years

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, Nigeria spent N20.2 trillion to import petrol, diesel and kerosene between January 2010 and September 2015.

Figures jointly compiled by both the NBS and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA and made available to newsmen show that N12, 529, 746, 397, 978. 48 was spent on the importation of 102,374,588,480.91 litres of  Premium Motor Spirit, PMS.

The figures also show that  N6,450,576,065,479.43 was spent on the importation of 16,679,065,103 litres of diesel, otherwise known as Automotive Gas Oil.

The period between January 2012 and September 2015, saw the sum of N1,271,500,290,241 being spent on the importation of 9,448,409,070 litres of kerosene.

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CBN to provide amenities for displaced persons.

The Central Bank of Nigeria says it wants to provide basic infrastructural needs at Internally Displaced Persons camps

To this end, the CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele has requested the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA to furnish him with details of what the IDP camps need.

CBN Director of Projects and Planning, Mr Kabiru Nuhu Koko disclosed this while receiving a meritorious award from the Northern Youth Network, NYN in Abuja.

Koko said that NYN had specifically requested  the CBN to device a means of alleviating the suffering of the IDPs.

Koko, who is  the immediate past President of the Unity Schools Old Students Association, USOSA urged youths across the country to work together to sustain the unity of the country.

His words:
“This Nigeria is real, some people will tell you otherwise, please don’t listen to them. Some will say Nigeria is a mere geographical expression, some will l ask you why you’re promoting Nigeria, instead of promoting your village, please don’t listen to those negative comments. Nigerian communities  have a very long history of inter-group relations, and Nigerians have been interacting long before the coming of British colonialism."

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50,000 Borno IDPs set to return home in five councils

The government of Borno State, northeast Nigeria has declared that it has concluded plans to resettle 50,000 Internally Displaced Persons in their communities this February.

The state has 200,000 IDPs from 23 of its 27 local governments living in 22 camps in Maiduguri.

News Agency of Nigeria, NAN reports the Executive Chairman of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Malam Satomi Ahmad as saying that; “we are returning IDPs from communities in five local governments to their homes in liberated areas.

“The communities are in Monguno, Gwoza, Askira-Uba, Mafa and Dikwa councils.”

He explained that government has procured foodstuff for IDPs returning from Gwoza, Mafa, Askira and Monguno among others.

“Government is buying food items for the IDPs because there was no farming in the last few years. They need food to survive when they return home.

“We plan to provide foodstuff to last them at least two months before they settle down to start economic activities,” he said.

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NiMet gets 7 days ultimatum to implement agreement with labour

The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, AUPCTRE is threatening a showdown with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet over the non implementation of agreement reached between the two parties. 

The union issued the ultimatum in Abuja on Friday through a letter it submitted to the Director General of NiMet.

President of the union, Solomon Adelegan, said the ultimatum became necessary following the failure of the management of NiMet to respect and implement the agreement reached with the union in December last year.

He said that the issues in contention include ;
,”Commencement of full implementation of the recently approved Condition of Service/ Addendum for NiMet workers: Effective date of 2013 Promotion: Mandatory Training for would be Retirees: Staff Quarters occupied by officers who have retired from NiMet and Payment of 2015 Ex-Gratia.”

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Boko Haram sourcing bomb materials locally - Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday called for vigilance among Nigerians, especially in the Northeast so as to help check the activities of insurgents.

He said that Boko Haram terrorists have been sourcing the materials for their Improvised Explosive Devices locally.

The president expressed his embarrassment over the renewed spate of suicide bombings in the Northeast.

He said that recent suicide attacks in Chibok market, Dolari Internally Displaced Person’s (IDP) camp in Borno State and the Gombi market in Adamawa State represent the desperation of the insurgents to attract attention, having been roundly beaten by the military.

“Having lost the war, they are seeking ways and means to gradually find their way back into society. They are not returning to contribute but to cause more havoc. They are so desperate to embarrass the government and the people that they have no qualms attacking isolated communities and markets.

“I urge all citizens wherever they live to own the war against terror and to be part of the fight because it is the only way we can finish the remaining work that needs to be done to make our country safe again," he said.

Buhari extended his "condolences to all the people of Chibok, Gombi and Dolari who lost loved ones in the recent attacks and prayed that the Almighty God will comfort them and grant the injured persons quick recovery.”

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FG declares French language compulsory in Nigerian schools

The Federal Government has declared the French language compulsory for students across all levels of education in the country, following its decision to make French the second official language of Nigeria.

To this end, government is embarking on intensive training of French teachers at all levels.

The Minister of State for Education, Prof Anthony Anwukah, announced the policy decision in Abuja on Saturday during a courtesy visit by the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Denys Gaver.

His words:
“French language is a matter of necessity. We have to because we have Cameroon, Niger, Chad, Benin Republic, Togo Guinea, and Ivory Coast surrounding us and so there is need for us to get more Nigerians to become proficient in French language.

“This is good for the continent; it is good for us as a nation. It is good for our brothers at the borders because it will enable us to communicate with them effectively."

Anwukah also appealed to the ambassador to assist Nigeria with more French teachers.

“We plead that you consider it a lot more expedient in helping us train our teachers in French both for the primary school level, secondary level and tertiary level.

“So far, we have demonstrated the enthusiasm to foster the teaching and learning of French in Nigerian schools which are the tertiary, basic and secondary levels and our main concern now is the training of sufficient number of French teachers within our school system,” he said.

The minister on the same day, flagged off the French Clinic Project at Federal Government Boys College Apo, Abuja.

He explained that the project was one of many expected to come up across the country.

“The ministry is geared towards establishing French clinics in 104 government colleges, and unity schools.

“We are keen and motivated by the need to actualise our dream of making French language our second language of business in Nigeria.

“The clinic is expected to improve the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills of students.

“It is expected that with these skills, our students will fare better in their examinations and in the world of worth."

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