EFCC gets leave to arraign former Gov Kalu

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Monday got the approval of a Federal High Court, Abuja to arraign an ex-governor of Abia State, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu on May 16.

The former governor is expected to enter a fresh plea to an amended 112-count charge dated February 11, 2008 having pleaded not guilty to the earlier 107 charges.

Justice Anwuli Chikere gave EFCC the nod to re-arraign Kalu following the submission to her of the judgment of the Supreme Court, which on March 18, ruled that the former governor has a  case to answer.

Kalu, his company, Slok Nigeria Limited and his alleged accomplice, Udeh Jones Udeogu are to be prosecuted for offences bordering on money laundering and criminal diversion of public funds to the tune of N5.6 billion.

The fraud was allegedly perpetrated while Kalu was the governor of Abia State between 1999 and 2007.

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Buhari to confer with Jinping on bilateral cooperation.

President Muhammadu Buhari who left Abuja Sunday night for Beijing, China is expected to confer with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples’ Congress, Zhang Dejiang on strengthening bilateral cooperation for the diversification of the Nigerian economy.

A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adeshina said that the trip is expected to yield new agreements and memorandums of understanding to boost trade and economic relations between the two countries.

"President Buhari's talks with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples’ Congress, Zhang Dejiang will also focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation in line with the Federal Government's agenda for the rapid diversification of the Nigerian economy, with emphasis on agriculture and solid minerals development.

"It is expected that in the course of the visit, several new agreements and memorandums of understanding to boost trade and economic relations between Nigeria and China will be concluded and signed.

"The agreements include a Framework Agreement between the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the National Development and Reform Commission of the Peoples' Republic of China to Boost Industrial Activities and Infrastructural Development in Nigeria.

"Others are a Framework Agreement between the Federal Ministry of Communications and the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, and a Memorandum of Understanding between Nigeria and China on Scientific and Technological Cooperation.

"In keeping with his administration's prioritization of economic diversification and industrialisation to boost employment, President Buhari and his delegation will tour the Shanghai Free Trade Zone and the Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone to gain more useful insights and understanding of the policies that underpinned China's astronomical economic growth in recent years.

"The President, whose entourage will include some state governors as well as the Ministers of Agriculture, Water Resources, Transport, Defence, Power, Works & Housing, Industry, Trade & Investment, Federal Capital Territory, Science & Technology and Foreign Affairs, will also open a China-Nigeria Business/
Investment Forum in Beijing and meet with members of the Nigerian Community in China before returning to Abuja at the weekend."

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The offending discoveries that made Buhari withhold assent to 2016 budget

President Muhammadu Buhari is not happy with certain details of the 2016 budget sent to him for assent by the National Assembly.

He has therefore asked the legislators to take back the budget and reinsert some key national projects which they allegedly removed and to remove the ones inserted by them to enable him assent to the document.

Vanguard reports that the President would in the alternative "sign the budget as a formality and introduce a supplementary budget to remove the offending items and to reflect his wish for Nigerians."
The lawmakers are reported to have reallocated large amounts of money from some of President Buhari’s key projects to their own constituency projects.

Vanguard also reports that among other infractions, the lawmakers;

* removed N4 billion from the Ministry of Health's budget and added it to the Code of Conduct Tribunal

* added the cost of 80 illegal roads without design to the Ministry of Works' budget, 30 of them not Federal

* diverted money meant for Works and power transmission to  tricycles, town halls and boreholes in their constituencies

* added 73 illegal projects to Education budget with no designs available for the projects, and no tenders conducted

* slashed money for poor students by 50% in Education budget and added same to their states constituencies.

* removed N60 billion meant for the Calabar-Lagos rail project.

Meanwhile, President Buhari, left Abuja for Beijing, China, on Sunday night to seek financial support for the country.

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Actor Mike Ezuruonye's sister joins the married club

Photos: Actor Mike Ezuruonye's look-alike sister weds http://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2016/04/photos-actor-mike-ezuruonyes-look-alike.html

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Photos of Buhari, Osinbajo, Udoma perusing the 2016 budget

At the State House, Abuja on Sunday, the president was seen with the Vice President and Minister for National Planning scrutinizing the 2016 budget.

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FCT polls: INEC declares elections in Kuje, Gwagwalada, Kwali, AMAC inconclusive

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has  declared the election in Gwagwalada, Kuje, Abuja Municipal and Kwali Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja inconclusive.

At the Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC collation centre, for example, the Returning Officer, Prof. Sunday Ododo told newsmen that the election was declared inconclusive because the total number of cancelled votes cast, 15,560, was more than the margin between the two leading political parties.

He explained that while Mr. Abdullahi Halilu of the All Progressives Congress, APC polled 26,602 votes, Mr. Bitrus Tanko of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP got 21,230 votes, leaving a margin of 5,372 votes.

“For a winner to emerge, the margin should be in excess of the number of votes cancelled.

“If you compare the margin between the winning party and the runner up party, it is less than the number of voters who could not cast their vote.

“For this reason, the AMAC chairmanship election is hereby declared inconclusive until election is conducted in affected pulling units," he said.

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Police kill 3 Fulani abductors, rescue 5 victims in Niger State

The Niger State Police Command recently killed three kidnappers of Fulani origin and rescued five of their victims.

Two Fulani men who had earlier kidnapped three people from Abuja were traced by the police to their hideout in Agaie area of Niger State.

In the ensuing gun battle, both kidnappers were killed.

In another development, one of three Fulani men said to have abducted two young girls in Lambata, Gawu Babangida area of Gurara Local Government Area was gunned down by the police while trying to collect ransom at the agreed pick up area.

The second kidnapper was arrested with bullet wound while the third escaped.

The arrested kidnapper was said to have led the police to their forest hideout where the girls were rescued.

Confirming the development, the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Bala Elkana reaffirmed the resolve of the police to rid the state of kidnappers.

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