FG To Capture Unemployment Benefits, School Feeding In 2016 Budget

Abujacitynews has learnt that the Federal Government plans to capture the funding of the N5000 monthly allowance for 25 million vulnerable Nigerians and feeding program for school children in the 2016 budget.

According to the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande, details of the financial arrangements for the programs will be contained in the 2016 budget.

“Let us just wait for the 2016 budget. I am sure that all the details will be available in that budget,” he said.

In a statement issued by its former spokesman, Lai Mohammed, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC had attributed the non implementation of the programs so far to the fact that they were not captured in the 2015 budget which was prepared by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

“Now, the Buhari administration has been busy putting in place measures that will make it possible to start the implementation of this project. Such measures include the introduction of the Treasury Single Account.“

We are happy to inform Nigerians that as of the end of September 2015, over N1.4tn – which hitherto was lying unproductively in various commercial banks – has been recovered and paid into the TSA,” he said.

He also pointed out the need to block all avenues of financial leakage before the implementation of the programs. 

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How Former NSA Awarded N333bn Fake Arms Contracts

The 13-man panel set up by the Office of the National Security Adviser to probe the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence sector from 2007 till date submitted its interim report to President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.

The president reportedly ordered the arrest and prosecution of all those indicted in the report.

A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adeshina , disclosed that the National Security Adviser under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), is among those indicted in the report.

Adeshina said said that the panel analysed interventions from  organisations that provided funds to the Office of the National Security Adviser, Defence Headquarters, Army Headquarters, Naval Headquarters and Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, in both local and foreign currencies.

According to the Presidential spokesman, approximately N643.817bn in extra budgetary expenditures have so far been verified. He said that despite the huge spending, only very little procurement was done, despite the fact that the troops fighting insurgency in the Northeast were in desperate need of equipment.

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

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

“The committee also discovered that payments to the tune of three billion, eight hundred and fifty million Naira (N3,850,000,000.00) were made to a single company by the former NSA without documented evidence of contractual agreements or fulfilment of tax obligations to the FGN.

“Further findings revealed that between March 2012 and March 2015, the erstwhile NSA, Col. M.S. Dasuki (retd.), awarded fictitious and phantom contracts to the tune of N2,219,188,609.50, $1,671,742,613.58 and €9,905,477.00; totalling N333bn (at N197 to a dollar, N212.563 to a Euro).

“The contracts, which were said to be for the purchase of four Alpha Jets, 12 helicopters, bombs and ammunition were not executed and the equipment were never supplied to the Nigerian Air Force, neither are they in its inventory.

“Even more disturbing was the discovery that out of these figures, two companies were awarded contracts to the tune of N350,000,000.00; $1,661,670,469.71 and €9,905,477.00 alone.

“This was without prejudice to the consistent non-performance of the companies in the previous contracts awarded.

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

“Had the funds siphoned to these non performing companies been properly used for the purpose they were meant for, thousands of needless Nigerian deaths would have been avoided. The ridicule Nigeria has faced in the international community would have been avoided,” said the Presidential spokesman.

He added that President Buhari had ordered the relevant agencies to arrest and prosecute everyone involved in these fraudulent activities.

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See Buhari's tweets on the Yola bombings

"May God rest the souls of the dead, heal the injured, and comfort the bereaved."

~Pres.@MBuhari— President Buhari (@NGRPresident)November 17, 2015

"The enemies of humanity will never win. Hand in hand, we will rid our land of terrorism."

~ Pres@MBuhari— President Buhari (@NGRPresident)November 17, 2015

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How banks promote prostitution in Nigeria - Reps

The House of Representatives has been told that banks promote prostitution in the country by setting unrealistic targets for their female marketers.

Hon. Segun Alexander Adekola, while sponsoring a motion entitled, “Urgent Need to Curb Unwholesome Practices of Banks in Nigeria,” on Tuesday said that female marketers are usually send to solicit for huge deposits for the banks and those who fail to meet the largely unrealistic targets are quickly dismissed.

His words ;
“A critical assessment of the targets being given to these employees to meet, show them to be unrealistic, unreasonable, ordinarily unattainable and irrational.

“But these banks resort to unethical means to ensure that these targets are met by either explicitly or impliedly encouraging their staff, especially the female ones to engage in illicit behaviour.”

In her support for the motion, Hon Rita Orji noted that female bankers are known to have been sacked through text messages for failing to meet such unrealistic deposit targets.

Majority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, recalled that his earlier attempt to stop the practice with his Corporate Prostitution Bill  in the Sixth Assembly, was frustrated by some bankers when it got to the stage of public hearing.

“Marriages have been wrecked and homes destroyed because of this practice and I am sure that none of us here will allow our daughters to be involved in this,” he said.

Calling for a voice vote on the motion, House Speaker, Hon Yakubu Dogara appealed to bank managements in the country to desist from the practice of sending young women to solicit for million naira deposits.

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Dream team IV in emergency landing at Accra airport

Nigeria's Under-23 soccer team on Sunday morning cheated death as their aircraft developed a technical problem on their way to Gambia and had to make an emergency landing at the airport in Accra, Ghana.

The team was going to Gambia to camp and perfect strategies for the African U23 Championship billed for Senegal.

Goal reports one of the team officials as saying that the crew of the Arik Airlines plane had to make an emergency landing at Accra airport when the aircraft developed an unexpected technical problem.

"Thank God for His goodness and his mercies. We escaped a plane crash on our way to Gambia. The pilot had to make an emergency landing in Accra. We are still in Accra.

"We are still stranded here and we are yet to get any news from Arik officials,” the official said.

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Abortion Horror: How Four Men Buried Woman In Shallow Grave

Four men are by now explaining to the Bauchi State Police Command and the court how 25 years old Rose Luka got buried in a shallow grave at the Bayan Gari area of Bauchi metropolis after an abortion-gone-awry.

Sources said that the suspects, Hillary Joseph 31, Nasiru Haruna 25 and Hamisu Yashi  30, all of Bayan Gari Area of Bauchi conspired and hurriedly buried Rose Luka a female from Adamawa State aged 25  after she died from complications resulting from an unsuccessful abortion.

In the words of Bauchi State Police Public Relations Officer,
DSP Haruna Mohammed,
“about 17:00hrs,following intelligence report, Police detectives attached to Tafawa Balewa housing Estate Division Bauchi arrested one Hillary Joseph male and 31 years, Nasiru Haruna male and 25 years, and Hamisu Yashi male and 30 years all of Bayan Gari Area of Bauchi State."

He said that forensic experts have visited the crime scene and the deceased's corpse exhumed.

He added that preliminary investigations revealed that Rose Luka died from complications arising from abortion.

He also said that the corpse was deposited at the University Teaching Hospital Bauchi for autopsy. 

According to the police spokesman, the patent medicine seller, one Mudashiru Bako aged 30 who sold and administered  the abortion drugs to the victim is also in police net.

Exhibits recovered from the suspects include, two Shovels, one Sachet of Diclofene tablets, one sachet of mebendazole with four tablets,  Prednisolone eight tablets, Bunto blood tonic and a bottle of water mixed with unidentified substances.

The suspects were arraigned at Chief Magistrate Court One Bauchi on Thursday 12 November 2015.

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MTN Donates Mattresses, Pillows To IDPs

Telecommunications company, MTN on Saturday donated 330 mattresses and 330 pillows to the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs at the Bajabure camp in Yola, Adamawa State.

Pedeino Mathias who presented the items on behalf of MTN commended the efforts of NEMA and other humanitarian agencies which have been taking care of the IDP camps.

‘’We are here to donate these items on behalf of MTN. The management wants to identify with the IDPs using this modest contribution. MTN is doing the same today in Borno and Yobe.  We appreciate NEMA for their support and cooperation,” she said.

Camp Coordinator, Balarabe Musa thanked MTN Nigeria for identifying with the IDPs while urging other corporate organizations to do same.

“We have received 330 mattresses and 330 pillows as donation from MTN. We are really happy for the concern shown by the company and I assure you the items will be distributed to the IDPs.

“We appreciate donations we receive from individuals and groups and we appeal for more to be able to meet the needs of the IDPs. NEMA is doing its best on behalf of the federal government to accommodate IDPs and make them comfortable but we need the support of all,” he said.

The Chairman of the IDPs, Bajabure camp, Alhaji Madu Goni also thanked MTN for the kind gesture. 

“We the displaced persons in this camp are grateful and over joyed that MTN has remembered us and decided to send their donation to help us.

“This shows they care for us and have concern for our plight. We call on other organizations across the country to emulate the gesture,” he said.

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