FG bars banks from giving loans to state governments

Banks in the country have been barred from further giving loans to state governments.

This directive from the Federal Government is in line with the Fiscal Sustainability Plan, FSP, which has been agreed to by the Federal Government’s economic team and state governors, to ensure prudent management of sub-national resources.

Sources said that President Muhammadu Buhari has been disappointed with the manner some past and present governors misapplied loans from banks  while mortgaging the finances of their states.

Some states are known to have too little to meet their recurrent obligations after deductions are made on outstanding loans.

Rather than bank loans, the Federal Government has directed states to source funds from the capital market for their infrastructure development.

It is also required that funds sourced through bonds must not only be on bankable, measurable projects but must also be released in tranches.

It is also required that the release of the proceeds of bond issuing will, henceforth, be on the basis of satisfactory utilization of earlier released proceeds.

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Troops kill 2 Boko Haram terrorists, rescue 53 hostages

Troops on counter-terrorism operations in the Northeast under the umbrella of Operation Lafiya Dole rescued 53 captives on Tuesday while on clearance missions.

Army spokesman, Col Sani Usman gave more insight into the the operations in a statement he issued on Wednesday.

"Troops of 115 Task Force Battalion, in conjunction with some vigilante groups carried out patrols to Pegana, Joma, Wambiyar, Dille, Pumpum, Zah, Miya and Pugula communities and cleared them of Boko Haram terrorists.

"Yesterday, some elements of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), arrested and handed over a suspected Boko Haram terrorist, named Garba Thlama Mussa to the unit. He is currently being interrogated and would be handed over to Joint Intelligent Committee.

"The troops of 117 Battalion also carried out patrol within Mubi North and Mubi South to ensure general security of the areas. The same unit also provided security to Adamawa State boundaries adjustment committee during their visit to Kwaja village in Mubi Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

"Troops of 143 Battalion also carried out patrol in Bebel, Fattude, Teddei, Hyambula and Sukur.

"We are pleased to state that the troops in that axis are in high spirit determined to continue doing the nation proud.

"The story is the same in 22 Brigade area of operations as troops of 3 Battalion also conducted foot and mobile patrols towards Diema, Tatakura and Kala villages in which they had contact with Boko Haram terrorists and killed 2 of them and recovered some dangerous weapons."

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Boko Haram terrorists kill 4, kidnap 4 in hit and run attack

The military said on Wednesday that Boko Haram terrorists killed four local vigilantes and abducted four women from a local community in Borno State, Northeast of Nigeria.

A statement issued by Army spokesman, Col Sani Usman on Wednesday said that the terrorists operated on six motorcycles.

“Following the killing of the vigilantes, local vigilantes in Kaya Kaya village, mobilized immediately and trailed the terrorists up to their suspected hideout located somewhere south of Sabon Garin Bale.

“The vigilante did their best by engaging the terrorists, unfortunately they escaped into the bush.

“But the courageous vigilantes destroyed the terrorist’s camp and recovered all hoisted Boko Haram terrorists’ flags, 3 Fabrique Nationale (FN) rifle magazines, 2 AK-45 rifle magazines and 24 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition.

“The vigilantes also rescued an 11-year-old girl who stated that she was abducted by the terrorists from Batha village.

“Sadly however, the vigilante could not trace the terrorists or the abducted women. However, effort is ongoing to trace and rescue them."

The statement also gave an update on other activities of Operation Lafiya Dole.

“In a related development, a team of local vigilante in Damboa led by Sarkin Yaki Ali Gwoza intercepted some persons along Njaba road, south of Damboa town while on patrol.

“During preliminary interrogation, they confessed that they were Boko Haram terrorists group members that were compelled to join the insurgency against their will and that they were on their way to Damboa to surrender to the military.

“They attributed their decision to give up their nefarious activities because continued military onslaught and that life has become hard and unbearable for the terrorists generally.

“Further screening has confirmed 17 of them as hardened Boko Haram terrorists trying to escape and infiltrate the society.

“Similarly, a combined patrol team of 7 Division Garrison, 101 Special Forces Battalion and 3 Civilian JTF, while on clearance patrol, intercepted a Golf car with registration number BX 508 RBC, suspected to be carrying suppliers of logistics such as spare parts and Improvised Explosives making Devices materials to Boko Haram terrorists along Kayamla general area Tuesday morning.

“The suspected suppliers abandoned the vehicle and fled into the bush on sighting the patrol team. The vehicle and its contents has been recovered to nearby military location.”

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Buhari condoles with Ghana's President Mahama on his mother's passing.

President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with President John Mahama of Ghana on the death of his mother, Hajia Abiba Nnaba.

A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adeshina said that Buhari offered his condolences to his Ghanaian counterpart by telephone.

“In a telephone call on Wednesday, President Buhari prayed that Almighty Allah will grant the soul of Hajia Nnaba eternal rest and comfort all who mourn her.”

The statement said that President Buhari also prayed that “the loving memory and virtues which Hajia Abiba Nnaba lived for will continue to inspire all who knew her and generations to come.”

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PDP suffering from sins of the past - APC

The Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has pointed an accusing finger at the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC concerning its present crisis.

The PDP alleged that the APC hired its "ousted" National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff to destroy the party.

Sheriff was "ousted" at the botched May 21 national convention in Port Harcourt, where a caretaker committee was entrusted with the affairs of the party.

But Sheriff snatched the PDP Secretariat in a dramatic return on Monday, declaring the Caretaker Committee illegal. He said that his tenure remains valid till December 2018.

During a press conference on Monday, spokesman of the Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye said that the APC was planning to scuttle PDP's chances in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State.

“The All Progressive Congress (APC) has contracted Sheriff and his cohorts to scuttle the chances of the PDP in the Edo governorship election.

“We have credible intelligence that Sheriff had a meeting on Sunday night with an APC governor from the Northwest, where it was agreed that he would be given full security and financial support to exacerbate the crisis in the PDP with the objective of preventing the PDP from presenting a candidate for the Edo governorship election, or in the very least, to prevent the PDP from offering a serious challenge to APC whose electoral fortunes have continued to nose-dive.

“What we are however very certain about is that Sheriff and his fellow renegades are being used by the enemies of the PDP to destroy our party and to prevent it from reorganising itself so as to provide a credible opposition and alternative platform for the forthcoming Edo State gubernatorial election and the 2019 general elections.”

However, the APC has washed its hands off the leadership crisis rocking the PDP.

National Secretary Mai Mala Buni, in a statement said advised the PDP to put its house in order.

“For the umpteenth time, the APC wishes to state that instead of joining issues with the baseless and laughable allegations, the APC would rather join issues that will bring about-all-inclusive development in the country.

“However, it should be put on record that the PDP foisted on them whatever crisis it is troubled with today due to its politics of imposition and other undemocratic practices which the APC abhors.

“The PDP should put its house in order rather than playing to the gallery and blaming others but themselves for their sins which have come to hunt them. Also, it is evident that the PDP has chosen to employ diversionary tactics because of its inability to produce credible candidates for the forthcoming elections in Edo and Ondo states”.

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Police recruitment: 4 applicants arrested for forgery, 1 for theft

The Nasarawa State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of five applicants for various offenses in the ongoing recruitment exercise in Lafia, the state capital.

The Commissioner of Police in charge of the exercise in the state, Alhassan Mamoda, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN on Wednesday in Lafia that four of the applicants were discovered to have forged their certificates while the fifth was arrested for stealing a mobile phone.

“Imagine someone who wants to join the police to protect lives and properties now stealing a handset at the venue of the screening exercise.

“He stole the handset and hid it in his pants and was discovered and apprehended in the cause of investigation.

“They were all handed over to the appropriate department of the force for further investigation,” he said.

Mamoda  advised other applicants with criminal tendencies to desist as they stood the risk of being caught.

The commissioner disclosed that of the 9,627 candidates that applied from the state, 5,200 had so far been screened.

NAN

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Capital projects: FG releases N280b

The Federal Government on Tuesday announced the release of N280 billion for the implementation of capital projects  in the 2016 budget.

The money is part of the N350 billion set aside to fund capital projects in the fiscal year. .

Six key ministries – Works, Housing and Power, Agriculture, Interior, Education, Information and Environment were captured in the first phase of the funds.

The government said that the money is for ongoing projects which have already been verified.

The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Hajia Zainab Ahmed, said the names of 60 Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs have been forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Finance for approval.

She said that the released funds would be used to execute specific projects, adding that government would not release money for any new projects.

Zainab spoke at a one day workshop for the review and implementation of the 2016 budget in Abuja on Tuesday.

She said that another batch of about 30 MDAs would be sent to the finance ministry on Wednesday.

The event was organized by a civic technology organization, BudgIT Nigeria.

“The release of the N350 billion is ongoing but of course, as I presented, we were not releasing budgets based on one quarter allocation. We needed to scrutinize the process. It took some time but we have sent about N280 billion for projects that have been scrutinized.

“As I said earlier on, the release will be done for specific projects. Our concentration was on projects that are ongoing, except for a few exceptional circumstances; we are not releasing funds for any new projects.

“We have reviewed their projects, approved them and have sent them to the ministry of finance.

“We have sent to the ministry of finance up to about 50 or 60 MDAs, but I can tell you that Works, Housing and Power, Agriculture, Interior, Education, Information and Environment are part of the ministries that we have sent to the finance ministry.

“There are about 60 MDAs already in the first batch. We have another batch of about 30 where the screening process had been concluded and we should be able to send that today (Tuesday) or tomorrow (Wednesday),” she said.

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