Tuesday, 5 July 2016

Buhari condoles with Saudi Arabia over suicide bombings

President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with the government of Saudi Arabia over Monday’s suicide bombings in their three cities, including  Madinah, Islam’s second holiest city.

In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adeshina, Buhari condemned the attacks as a desecration of all that was holy and sacred in Islam.

"The merchants of evil have once again shown that there is nothing religious in their mindless acts, by striking near the Prophet's Mosque. It validates the claim that terrorism really has nothing to do with Islam. Purveyors of terror are simply agents of the devil.

“The fact that the Madinah bombing came the same day as a suicide bomber struck near the US Consulate in Jeddah, also in Saudi Arabia, shows that it was an orchestrated plan to foul up the Eid-el-Fitr celebration,” President Buhari said.

He called for vigilance among the nations , "so that we can collectively beat the forces of darkness on the prowl round the globe."

President Buhari pointed out that terrorism no longer respects international boundaries, and charged humanity to rise as one body "to excise this vermin from our body polity, and assert our liberty from those who pander to base and vicious instincts.

"With our collective resolve, we shall beat terrorism. Around the world and around the clock, let us be alert. And we would remain free and safe," he said.

South East Women defend Stella Oduah

The South East Association of Igbo Ladies has risen in defense of ex-Minister of Aviation and Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial Zone, Ms Stella Odua concerning N2.5b purportedly found in an account which she allegedly operated in the name of her domestic servant.

The group in a statement circulated to news media described the report credited to an online publication as false, baseless and senseless as Oduah has no female domestic staff.

“We would like to state unequivocally that this report is totally false, baseless and has no sense in it. In the first place, Sen Oduah has no female domestic staff. In the second place, what would be the sense in putting such money in a personal account. -is it for savings or concealment -either of which makes no sense no matter how big the person is?

“We are confident to say that the report did not by any imagination arise from EFCC because the EFCC of today we know are diligent and works with facts. We are convinced that the source of the report must be the handiwork of some mischief makers who have not hidden their determination to bring Sen Oduah down by every means.

“They succeeded in pushing her out of government during the last regime but failed to stop her from winning her election to the senate.

“Oduah is one of the few senators who after one year in office is still battling with pre election matters in court. We are convinced that it is because they have not been able to completely uproot the distinguished senator that they reverted to their usual character assassination strategy.

“It is our wish to use this opportunity to appeal to the persecutors of Senator Oduah to let her be in the name of God after so much trauma.

“They must remember that Senator Oduah is not a new name in the Nigerian economy. It is known to all that Senator Oduah was a well known business woman who founded and managed an outstanding successful business in the oil and gas sector before venturing into government. It is also well known to every fair minded Nigerian she lost her business as a result of her incursion into government for which reason she came out of government poor than she went in.

“We want to state that our only consolation in the regrettable scenario that is playing out now is that Sen Oduah's work in government as aviation minister can not be denied even by her worst enemies. Her works at the airports shall remain the pride of the aviation industry in the next 30yrs.

“As a senator. Sen Oduah has continued to put up an exemplary performance,” the group said.

Eid-el-fitri: public holidays now Wednesday, Thursday

The Federal Government has declared Wednesday and Thursday public holidays to enable Muslims celebrate the Eid-el-fitri as against the Tuesday and Wednesday earlier declared.

Explaining the slight adjustment, the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau said in a statement he issued in Abuja on Tuesday  that it was due to "the directive by the President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, to the effect that the Ramadan fast continues today (Tuesday) as a result of the non-sighting of the moon".

He added that the Federal Government has now declared Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th July, 2016 as public holidays.

The statement signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Bassey Akpanyung partly read;
"In making the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, the Honourable Minister of Interior, Lt Gen. (Rtd) Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, urged Nigerians to use this period of sober reflections to ensure harmony, unity and peaceful co-existence, while giving full support to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in his sustained effort to pursue socio-economic and political growth of the nation.

"The Honourable Minister wishes Nigerians a peaceful celebration," the statement added.

Monday, 4 July 2016

Omokore, others docked for illegal oil deals, get N200m bail

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, arraigned an acclaimed ally of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, Mr. Jide Omokore, before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Also arraigned with Omokore were the former Managing Director of Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, Victor Briggs, former Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of NNPC, Abiye Membere; and former Manager, Planning and Commercial of the NNPC, David Mbanefo.

Two companies, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited were also charged along with the accused persons who pleaded not guilty to the nine-count charge preferred against them by the anti-graft agency.

Following their plea, the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N50m each with a surety, who must either be a senior civil servant or have a landed property.

Justice Nyako ordered that the sureties must depose to an affidavit of means, while the defendants must deposit their international passports and other travelling documents with the court.

The EFCC claims in one charges against the defendants ; One of the charge against the defendants read: “That you, Olajide Jones Omokore, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Ltd, Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Ltd and Kolawole Akanni Aluko (now at large) between May and October, 2013, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, induced the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Federal Government of Nigeria to deliver to you 5, 652, 227 barrels of crude oil (Brass blend) valued at the sum of US $ 616, 013, 615.27, through the medium of contact (Strategic Alliance Agreement) which delivery was induced by false pretence to wit: the representation that you have technical competence, professional skills and funds (both local and foreign) necessary to support NPDC in petroleum operation for the OML 60, 62, 62 and 63 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud related offences Act CAP A6 2010 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.’’

Earlier, Mr. Rafiu Lawal Rabana SAN, counsel to Jide Omokore had sought to delay the trial by arguing that one of the accused persons, Kolawole Akanni Aluko was not in court.

He contended that under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, all the defendants in a case must be served with the charges and be physically present in court before arraignment could take place.

However, lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs SAN countered that “Aluko is in Europe. We could not even take his statement, yet they want us to serve him along with others so that they could create a lacuna. The plea of those present in court should be taken.”

He subsequently applied and got the judge's permission to strike out Aluko's name from the charges.

“Anytime we get him, the charges could be amended,” he said.

Police Service Commission appoints Force Secretary, 7 DIGs

The Police Service Commission, PSC, yesterday , announced the appointment of seven Deputy Inspectors-General of Police, DIGs, who will make up the new management team to run the affairs of the Nigeria Police Force, NPF.

The announcement was made through a statement issued by the Head, Force Public Relations, Mr Ikechukwu Ani.

“The Commission on Monday, approved the appointment of seven Deputy Inspectors-General of Police to man the seven Management Departments of the Force.”

According to the statement, the  new DIGs and their portfolios are as follows:
DIG Shuaibu Gambo - Department of Finance and Administration.
DIG Joshak Habila - Department of Operations.
DIG Maigari Dikko - Department of Logistics and Supply.
DIG H. M. Dagala - Department of Force Criminal Investigations Department, FCID;
DIG Emmanuel Inyang - Department of Training and Development.
DIG Ntom Chukwu - Department of Research and Planning.
DIG Folusho Adebanjo - Department of ICT.

AIG Abdul Bube was appointed as the new Force Secretary.

“The commission has conveyed this approval to the Inspector-General of Police for implementation. Chairman, Dr. Mike Okiro, said the officers’ promotion letters will follow in due course,” said the statement.

Senator Odua denies laundering N2.5b through housemaid's account

Former Aviation Minister, Senator Stella Oduah who represents Anambra North Senatorial Zone, has denied reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has discovered the sum of N2.5 billion in a bank account she operates in disguise using the identity of her housemaid.

In a statement issued on Monday by her media aide, Francisca Onyeisi, the Senator challenged the publishers of the allegation to validate their claim with proofs.

A US-based news website had over the weekend disclosed that Oduah was operating an account through which she did massive transactions using the identity of her domestic servant apparently without her knowledge.

Dismissing the publication as untrue and without basis, the Senator said that "if the reports were true, I would have been arrested long before now, especially at a time when the EFCC is freezing accounts and going after opposition governors who enjoy same level of immunity as the president.”

Oduah added that she made her money in the oil/gas and agricultural sectors before joining politics, urging the public to ignore the said publication.

Kachikwu now Chairman of NNPC Board

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a new Board for the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in line with Section 1(2) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Act of 1997, as amended.

The Chairman of the new Board is the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu while the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr Maikanti Kacalla Baru and the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance are members.

Other members are Mallam Abba Kyari; Dr Thomas M.A John; Dr Pius O. Akinyelure; Dr Tajuddeen Umar; Mallam Mohammed Lawal, and Mallam Yusuf Lawal.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina in Abuja on Monday, President Buhari charged the new board to ensure the successful delivery of the mandate of the NNPC, and "serve the nation by upholding the public trust placed on them in managing this critical national asset."

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