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Police Seals Off PDP Convention Venue, Defends Action

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Police Seals Off PDP Convention Venue, Defends Action
The venue of the PDP convention was cordoned off by police
The venue of the PDP convention was cordoned off by police

The Nigerian Police this morning sealed off the venue of the National Convention of the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Port-Harcourt to prevent delegates from entering.

Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the Police, Don Awunah defended the action saying it was to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

The FPRO explained that the police were being proactive given that there are two warring factions in the PDP, as well as two conflicting court judgments.

Awunah said this when he appeared as a guest on a Television breakfast programme.

He said that the Police, as a neutral body, had to take charge to ensure that the situation does not degenerate.

“The situation is that we have conflicting court orders, the IG has been served a court order in Abuja, and so we have to obey the court order.

“If this court order has to be obeyed, what do we do about the venue? We take control of the venue to avoid two warring parties conflicting, to protect lives and properties in the state” he added.

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja had on Tuesday issued a stern warning to the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the PDP, asking it not to go ahead with the planned convention.

This was after factional Chairman of the PDP, Ali Modu-Sheriff, informed the court that the Makarfi faction planned to go ahead with the convention despite an earlier court order prohibiting it to do so.

Justice Abang also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to stay away from the proposed convention, while ordering the Inspector-General of Police to ensure that the Convention does not hold.

“Failure to comply with the order of the court will attract disciplinary action.

“The mighty will not escape just punishment. Whoever goes against the decision of this court will have themselves to blame,” Abang had warned.

Meanwhile, latest reports say that the PDP has extended the tenure of the Makarfi-led caretaker committee for one year.

The extension was agreed upon through a vote of confidence by the national delegates at the party’s secretariat in Port-Harcourt, the River State capital.

This follows the inability of the faction to go ahead with its scheduled convention as the venue had been cordoned off by the police.

Thugs Attack Protesters, Journalists In Yenagoa

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Thugs Attack Protesters, Journalists In Yenagoa
Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State
Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State

A peaceful protest by members of the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, and Medical and Health Workers Union in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital,on Tuesday, was disrupted when the protesters were attacked by violent thugs.

The thugs, wielding dangerous weapons such as clubs and machetes, manhandled the protesting workers and the journalists who covered the protest.

The protesters were demanding salary arrears owed them by the local government authorities and alleging diversion of federal government’s bailout fund in Bayelsa.

Local government workers in the state said they are being owed between five and seven months’ salary arrears despite the fact that the state government had obtained bailout funds from the federal government to offset same in the state.

Reports also had it that the Bayelsa state government had assisted the local government councils earlier in the year to offset salary arrears owed council workers.

Not to be cowed, a joint Council of NULGE and MHWUN, issued a statement saying that the protest was in line with the struggle to improve the welfare of its members in the state.

The statement signed by Tonye Jaja of NULGE and Arafat Nwibani of the health workers union read in part: “We are demanding that the affected Chairmen of Councils and Commissioner for Local Government should immediately pay from  the bailout funds to workers of the affected council to avoid unpleasant consequences an sustain the peaceful industrial atmosphere in the system.

“We unequivocally demand for the full payment of the salary of March; we demand the release of LGAs allocations to the councils immediately.”

Many of the journalists affected by the crisis also lost their valuables including cash and gadgets.

John Odhe, a reporter with the state owned newspaper, New Wave, who was affected in the clash said it was an unpleasant experience.

“It was like a movie as the as thugs descended on us and started manhandling us with planks and stones; I managed to escape,” Odhe said.

NAF Releases Video Of Airstrikes To Dispute Boko Haram’s Claim

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NAF Releases Video Of Airstrikes To Dispute Boko Haram’s Claim

NAF Releases Video OF Airstrikes In The Northeast

The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has released a video to buttress it claim that the military onslaught on Boko Haram involves precision airstrikes on targets.

This is to refute claims by the insurgent group that bombs from a military jet killed many of the abducted Chibok girls.

Boko Haram had released a video on Sunday showing some of the kidnapped girls and alleging that airstrike by the military had killed most of them while 40 others had been married off to their members.

Although the Boko Haram video showed a military jet in the air and the dead bodies of the girls allegedly killed after the jet bombed their location, it did not however, show when the bomb dropped on the girls. .

But in a statement late Tuesday by Ayodele Famuyiwa, NAF’s Director of public relations and information, the Force described Boko Haram’s claims as a ruse and “another mischievous effort by the dying sect to draw public attention to itself.

Famuyiwa stated that the video by the terrorists “provided no evidence that the supposed casualties were as a result of any air to ground attack”,  adding that “the positioning of the bodies clearly defiles any natural setting of a location that has undergone aerial bombardment.”

“Besides, the impact and accompanying degree of damage to the bodies would have been more, were they to have died from air strike,” he said.

“It is therefore clear that the video is a make-up story to discredit the NAF, and more importantly, a deliberate effort to whip up sentiment among the public in order to dissuade and discontinue the use of airpower which has proved very effective as the major determinant factor in the successes recorded in the ongoing counterinsurgency operations in the North East.”

The video released by NAF clearly showed that the terrorists were being monitored.

A part showed what looked like a military truck conveying what was labeled in the video as “BHT” and two of them alighted from the truck and ran down the forest and the truck drove off.

Another part showed a group of people labeled “women in hijab and children” walking about in the forest.

NAF’s monitoring of militants in the South-South and Southwest was also shown towards the end of the video.

The video, however, did not show the actual shelling process, nor did it show the location that was shelled.

But it proves that some monitoring was carried out by NAF on Boko Haram terrorists in the Sambisa forest before airstrikes were conducted.

The NAF spokesman said that there are “measures to avoid the incidence of collateral damage” and “to ensure that only legitimate military targets are engaged”, adding that “where there are doubts about target status, we do not undertake strike missions.”

“Besides, NAF ISR platforms carry highly sophisticated equipment on-board which are able to provide pin-point accurate intelligence about target location and description as depicted in the enclosed video on our ISR operations,” he stated.

Famuyiwa assured Nigerians in the Northeast of their safety and urged them to disregard the Boko Haram video as mere propaganda.

“The NAF wishes to use this opportunity to restate its commitment to restoration of peace in the North East and other troubled areas in the country,” he said

This is the link to the video confirming precision air operation: https://youtu.be/ss3guErx3Mc

 

Buhari Regrets Nigeria’s Failure To Develop Automobile Industry

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Buhari Regrets Nigeria’s Failure To Develop Automobile Industry
President Buhari greets leader of the Association of African Automative Manufacturers
President Buhari greets leader of the Association of African Automative Manufacturers

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed regrets over Nigeria’s inability to make meaningful progress on automobile initiatives started in Bauchi, Kaduna and Ibadan.

In a statement issued by his special adviser media, Femi Adesina, President Buhari said that Nigeria identified her problems early enough but did not do much to address these problems.

The President said this when he received Executive Members of Association of Africa Automotive Manufacturers, AAAM, led by the chairman, Jeff Nemeth.

“We must avoid the mistakes made in the past by both government and manufacturers, and we are ready to get investment from all quarters, so that we can improve the lives of our people,” the president was quoted as saying.

He added that “We are making efforts to start our steel industry all over again. I see vast opportunities for both the country and those who invest here.”

Leader of the delegation, Nemeth said the Association is comprised of potential investors who are ready to unlock investment potentials on the African continent.

He called for the support of the present administration in order to realize the association’s vision and mission.

He said: “We are ready to offer strategic partnership with Nigeria. We want to promote investor-friendly regulatory frameworks and sustainable manufacturing.

“We will equally promote infrastructure development, job creation, and skills transfer.”

FIRS Seals Peter Obi’s Company Over Tax Debt

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FIRS Seals Peter Obi’s Company Over Tax Debt
Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi
Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi

The Federal Inland Revenue Services, FIRS, has reportedly sealed the Onitsha warehouse of Next international company, owned by former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, citing tax violations.

This is in continuation of the strict tax regime of the present administration.

Obi’s company reportedly owes FG N20.4million in tax remittances since 2006 having failed to pay Company Income Tax, Withholding Tax and Education Tax within the period.

In Kano State, the FIRS enforcement team, led by Umar Garba, sealed Sani Brothers Transport Company Limited, Triumph Nigeria Limited, Multi System Nigeria Limited and NorthWest Cable Manufacturers Limited.

The companies owe the country N12. 3million, N6.5million, N3.3million and N5.8million respectively in tax remmitances.

Also in Lagos state, the enforcement team sealed the offices of Secure ID Limited, situated at 2 Olawale Dawodu Street, Ikoyi, over a tax debt of N151million.

Buhari Studying Report On Army/Shiites’ Clash – Aide

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Buhari Studying Report On Army/Shiites’ Clash – Aide

Buhari studying report on Army-shiite clash

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured international and local human rights groups of appropriate response on the report of the judicial inquiry into the clash between soldiers and members of the Shiite movement in Nigeria, led by Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.

Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, said in a statement on Tuesday that the President is studying the details of the report before announcing appropriate response in due course.

“The President’s commitment to human rights remains unchanged because it is a cardinal component of the democratic order,” Shehu stated.

President Buhari had, in December 2015, during the Presidential Media Chat, said that he was waiting for the report of the panel of inquiry before making appropriate response.

Shehu said that “The present administration believes in due process and the rule of law; therefore any response to the report would follow this principle.

“The Federal Government will continue to act in the larger interest of the public to prevent such violent incidents.”

 

Kaduna Govt. Awards N108 Billion Contracts To Private Sector 

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Kaduna Govt. Awards N108 Billion Contracts To Private Sector 
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai

The Kaduna State government said it has empowered the private sector with contracts worth N108 billion from the 2016 budget, adding that the state was putting finishing touches to its 2017 appropriation bill, which governor Nasir El-Rufai is expected to present to the State House of Assembly by the end of September.

This was made known on Tuesday by the state Commissioner for Budget and Planning,  Muhammad Abdullahi.

“We have received budget proposals from Ministries Department and Agencies and we have held revenue defence about three weeks ago on the budget.

“What this means is, we already have a revenue budget for the proposed budget.

“All revenue generating agencies in the state have defended what they proposed as revenues,” Abdullahi told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.

He said the state government is working out an estimate of what in hopes to get from the federation account in 2017, adding that government agencies will be expected to begin the defence of their expenditure from next week.

The commissioner also stressed the important role the private sector will play, saying the sector has an important role to play if the state is to witness significant development.

“We are inviting key businessmen all across the state to tell us what they will like to see in the budget; what items in the budget they think would improve their businesses.

“This is because government exists to ensure that the state works and provide jobs, and we can only provide jobs when the privates sector is gainfully engaged,” Abdullahi explained.

Due to the shortfall in revenue, especially owing to the fall in oil prices, the Kaduna State government said it cannot meet its target of 95 percent implementation of the 2016 budget. It said, however, said it is expecting 70 percent implementation, which is more than what has been achieved in 10 years.

Part of this is the release of more than N100 billion to private sector from the capital budget.

“The state government is empowering the private sector with N108 billion worth of contracts, representing 62 percent of the N172 billion provision in the 2016 budget as capital expenditure,” he noted, adding that in the next two weeks, the government will award contracts for the constructions of 16 roads and 100 boreholes in rural communities.

‘’Similarly, we are about to award a contract for the construction of 255 primary health care hospitals across the state and we just closed a tender for 150 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) projects,“ he said.

Jailbreaks: FG Sacks 23, Suspends 11 Prison Officers

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Jailbreaks: FG Sacks 23, Suspends 11 Prison Officers
File: The Comptroller-General of the NPS, Ja'afaru Ahmed (middle) conferring with some officials of the party
File: The Comptroller-General of the NPS, Ja’afaru Ahmed (middle) conferring with some officials of the party

Twenty-three officers of the Nigeria Prisons Service have been shown the way out of the service for alleged involvement in the Kuje and Koton-Karfe jailbreaks that occurred recently in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and Kogi State respectively.

Also, Lawrence Okonkwo, the officer in charge of the Nsukka Prison in Enugu State, and 10 other staff of the facility have been suspended, to allow for an investigation into the escape of 15 inmates from the prison last week.

The decision was taken during an emergency meeting of the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board in Abuja.

The sack follows three incidences of jailbreak that has occurred between June and August in Kuje, Koton-Karfe and Nsukka prison facilities, all in Nigeria.

Two inmates escaped from the Kuje prison while 13 others fled the Koton-Karfe facility.

Six of the 15 escapees in the Nsukka prison were reported to have been rearrested.

 

It’s Tougher To Be A Military Man Than Being President – Babangida

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It’s Tougher To Be A Military Man Than Being President – Babangida
Former Military President, Ibrahim Babangida
Former Military President, Ibrahim Babangida

Former Nigeria military President Ibrahim Babangida has said that he found the challenge of being a military man tougher than being the President of Nigeria.

Babangida said this while having a chat with journalists on the occasion of his 75th birthday in Minna, the Niger State Capital, on Tuesday.

He explained that being a president or head of state, one has to seek people’s advice, interact and discourse with them to get solution based on the prevailing circumstances, but as an army officer one leads men to danger “because your life and their lives depend on you as the commander.”

“Being a military officer you are the only one leading your troops who’re hoping on you. If you lead them wrongly you will kill many of them.

“If they have faith in you they follow you. If you have faith in them you go along with them.

“So, it is more challenging than being a president,’’ he said.

Babangida noted that his toughest encounter in the army was when they had to trek from Enugu to Umuahia during the Nigeria civil war.

He said, “Movement from Enugu to Umuahia was very tough and challenging because you need to be physically fit to be able to undertake that kind of journey on foot.

“We had to go through the jungles and the hills. I think it was my toughest encounter in the army because that was where I got wounded in April 1969.

For Love Of Country

The former military president said that he joined the army for the purpose of being in the force to protect the country.

According to him, being in the military means that one must subject oneself to a constituted authority to execute all the tasks assigned to one.

He said that the constitutional roll and international treaties made it possible for military personnel to serve anywhere in the world.

I Am Not An Evil Genius

The retired army general pointed out that he is not an evil genius as some Nigerians call him.

“I am not the evil genius that quite a lot of people consider me to be,

“I have had a very excellent background and training. We have to love one another. However, I can understand the feeling people have towards me.

“By the virtue of the job I was doing, I was bound to be misconstrued and my actions misinterpreted as evil. I consider what people say as an opinion as long as I am not what you think I am; I feel satisfied‎.”

Part Time National Assembly

In the light of the ongoing corruption scandal rocking the National Assembly, Babangida said if given the chance he would make the National Assembly part time in order to reduce the cost government.

He said: “During my public life, there were several decisions we took  as military officers or as  political officers, when I was a dictator, that if given another chance, I would do differently. For example, in 1989, we proposed that the national assembly should be optional, that is part-time.

“I still believe that if I had the opportunity, I would make the national assembly part-time. I believe in that very strongly and it’s part of efforts to cut down the cost of governance in Nigeria.”

Atiku’s Eulogies

Babangida with former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar
Babangida with former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar

Meanwhile, former Nigeria’s Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has eulogized Babangida, for his contributions to the development of the nation.

In a message by Paul Ibe, his media aide, Atiku stated that “One of the greatest legacies of IBB is giving the country a manageable number of political parties by reducing them to two.”

Atiku added that the decision by Babangida reduced waste of resources.

“It is impossible to encounter IBB without being moved by his humility towards people, regardless of their social status in life. His detribalised nature and passion about Nigeria’s oneness are virtues worthy of emulation,” he said.

Atiku prayed for many more years of good health on Babangida “so that the country could continue to drink from his fountain of wisdom”.

Crisis In Ondo APC Over Tinubu’s Alleged Endorsement Of Candidate

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Crisis In Ondo APC Over Tinubu’s Alleged Endorsement Of Candidate
Crisis In Ondo APC as protesters lock Secretariat
Crisis In Ondo APC as protesters lock Secretariat

National leader of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Ahmed Tinubu’s alleged endorsement of one of the governorship aspirants of the party in Ondo state has polarised the Party.

Tinubu had reportedly endorsed Olusegun Abraham as a governorship candidate after insisting he had a right to support a candidate.

But the statement did not go down well with some interest groups within the party. The aggrieved members of the party stormed the party secretariat in the state demanding that the state party Chairman, Isaac Kekemeke, should step down.

The group, which forcefully took over the state secretariat along Oyemekun Road, shutting the gates against the chairman, accused him of being part of the plan to “impose” a candidate on the people of the state.

They also announced Saka Ogunleye as their new chairman.

Tunji Abayomi, one of the governorship aspirants, had in a letter to Tinubu, asked him not to interfere in the internal affairs of the state but to allow the people make their choice.

Tibunu’s alleged reply that he had the right to support any aspirant of his choice reportedly brought about Tuesday’s protest, as the youth group of the Ondo APC vowed to resist any imposition of a candidate on the party.

A group, called the Owo/Ose Egalitarian Group, had earlier said that Tinubu’s action was against the principle of fairness by seeking to deny the people of Owo/Ese federal constituency the right to produce a governor for the state.

Coordinator of the group, Akin Famadenuyi, in a statement, warned the party’s leaders not to take away the rights of the people of his constituency to produce the next governor by zoning it to another.

However, the State APC Chairman, Kekemeke, waived off the allegations and the protests, saying it goes to show the vibrancy in the party.

He said: “You know our party is a progressive party and what happened today is part of the vibrancy in the party.

“I am not angry because people are free to express how they feel especially given the fact that APC has a high propensity to win the coming election.

“People have invested their time and energy in the pursuit of their ambitions, and they are bound to vent their frustrations if they think that those ambitions are dimming.”

Kekemeke said all the candidates had sought the support of party chieftains like Tinubu and wondered why they are crying foul just because someone else got the endorsement and they didn’t.

“To seek endorsement from anyone is normal in a democratic process, it is political illiteracy to be angry because someone got endorsed and you did not get the endorsement, which you also sought,” he said.

“The aspirants have been going around trying to get endorsements even from me and I don’t think there is anything wrong if anyone got endorsed.

“Whatever the case, I can assure you that everyone will still have to submit himself to the primaries and a candidate will emerge through a free and fair election,” he added.

The Party chairman expressed optimism that the crisis will not affect the Party’s primary elections, insisting that everything will be sorted out in no time.

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