ICPC warns Nigerian of Umana Ekaete Umanah

The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) said it has arrested one Umanah Ekaete Umanah for allegedly fleecing unsuspecting members of the public in a loan scam.

Nigerian youth and prospective investors have been warned to beware of Umana Ekaete Umanah ( 08066061283)-MD/CEO, No Burn Global Ltd suited at 1st Floor, No. 7 Makeni Street, Wuse, Zone 6, Abuja. The general public and victims of Umana Ekaete Umanah’s scam are cordially invited for #operationburnumanah by 10am on Monday 13 June 2016 @ Zone 6, Abuja.

A statement signed by the commission’s spokesperson, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, noted read that Umanah was the ringleader of a fraudulent group that has been swindling unsuspecting Nigerians through a fraudulent loan scheme, tagged ‘President Muhammadu Buhari Poverty Alleviation Programme.’

Okoduwa stated that the commission investigated and arrested Umanah, “who was riding on the promise of the new government to provide a better life for ordinary people,” while acting on a petition by a concerned citizen.

She explained that the scheme, ‘No Burn Global Limited,’ under the auspices of Magic Project Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, offered interest-free and collateral-free loans up to the tune of N1 million, repayable over a period of 10 years.

The fraudulent scheme was also said to have offered the option of repaying N2, 100 weekly or N8, 000 monthly.

She added that to secure this loan, the applicant had to pay for an application form and a processing fee of N7, 000 and N5, 000, respectively.

Further investigations by ICPC revealed that in spite of the fairly large number of applications over the period of time the group had been operating, not one applicant had received the loan.

The statement said ‘No Burn Global Limited’ was neither registered with any financial institution, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) or the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC.

According to the ICPC, the purpose for the fraudulent scheme was to hoodwink unsuspecting clients into paying the N12, 000, which serves as reward for the scammers.

The commission, therefore, warned members of the public to avoid falling prey to deals that sound too good to be true, saying the offence violates and is punishable under Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and would be charged to court accordingly.

PMB has Released the list of Ambassadorial nominees to senate

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, June 9, 2016 released the list of Ambassadorial nominees. This was contained in a letter sent to Senate president Bukola Saraki.

This was disclosed after Saraki read out the list of the 47 ambassadors on the floor of the Senate. According to the letter, the nominees are career diplomats who will oversee Nigeria’s mission outside the country.

The nominees include Obinna Chukwuemeka, Salisu Umoru, Iyang Udoh Iyang, Okeke Vivian Nwanaku, Niman Munir, Edem Jane Ada, Muhammed Hassan Hassan, Martin Young Cobham, Janet Molegbo Olisah, Itegbuoye Sunday, Olatunde Adesesan, Lilian Ijekwu Onu, Manaja Tulahi Isa, Ngozi Ukeje, Bello Kazaure Huseini, Inoc Pierre Ducci, Garba Baba, Usman Bakori Aliyu, Umar Zainab Salisu, Momoh Seyidou Umieza, Kadri Ayinla, Balogun, Hakeem, Nosa Ahmed, Ibrahim Isa and Bankole Adegboyega Adeoye.

Other are Ibidapo Obe Oluwasegun, Ogundayo Sakirat, Eric A. Belgam, Ateru Aliru, Ramata Bulima, Musa Rahman, Kabiru Bala, Damu Shuaibu, D. A Agiv, TK Gonglong, Ibrahim Hamza, KC Nwachukwu, Q.R Lolu, E.K Oguntuwase, A.I Paragauda, L.A Gasharga, Olufemi Abikoye, Abubakar Ibrahim, Rabiu Kauru, Odeka Janet Biong and Adekunbi Habeebat.

NOT TOO YOUNG TO RUN BILL SCALED 2ND READING

Yesterday the Nigerian House of Representatives made Millions of Young people in Nigeria Proud with their public show of commitment to the ongoing agitation to open the political space for Young persons in Nigeria with their unanimous decision to allow the bill for the reduction of the age for contesting election in Nigeria to pass second reading without any debate.

This historic sitting has shown that the 8th National Assembly is committed to using their legislative platform to secure the future of Young Persons. The reading of this Bill popularly called NOT TOO YOUNG TO RUN BILL which when finally passed will  reduce the age to Contest for House of Representative and House of Assembly Election to 25yrs while Senate, Governorship and Presidency will be 30yrs.

The bill will now allow the emergence of 25ys Old as Ministers with the possibility of Independent candidates running the 2019 election. Unbehalf of Nigerian Youths I commend the Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt.Hon.Yakubu Dogara, Honourable Members,Young Parliamentarians, Hon.Tony Nwulu(Sponsor of the Bill) ,Not too young to Run campaigners, Members of the 2015-2019 Executives of National Youth Council of Nigeria and Nigerian Youths for their commitment to see to the passage of this Historic Bill.

Lets all join the campaign and remain committed till this Bill is passed. Thanks and God bless us all. Build the Youths, build the Nation. All thanks to the  Sponsor of the Bill(Hon. Tony Nwulu) and  some other Honourable Members that supported the Bill and ensure that it scaled through the 2nd Reading.

NBS TO RELEASE MAY INFLATION FIGURE SOONEST

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is scheduled to release the inflation figure for May 2016 on June 18, based on the Data Release Calendar available on the Bureau’s website.

The Economic Intelligence Group forecasts headline inflation rate to rise to 14.7% in May 2016 from 13.7% recorded in April 2016. Our methodology adopts an autoregressive analysis of past prices, while it recognizes all the assumptions used by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its computation of monthly composite consumer price index (CCPI).

We forecast inflation rate to ascend to 14.7% from 13.7% reached in April 2016.

* The expected upward momentum in headline inflation in May reflects increases in both food and core components of inflation.

* With a 51.8% weighting in the inflation basket, the food component has been responsible for a sizeable amount of overall price pressure. Specifically, increases in the prices of cereals, fruit, meat, fish, dairy, tubers, tomatoes, and vegetables are the main culprits behind the acceleration 

* The review of petrol pump price is likely to have mounted further pressure on May inflation numbers, driven by the transport component and the electricity, gas and other fuels components, which together contribute 23.2% to the CPI weighting. 

* Continued weakness in the Naira, following the announcement of the deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector has also placed significant pressure on the inflation rate. This will have filtered into consumer prices as some firms may have sourced scarce foreign exchange (FX) from the parallel (black) market to import intermediate goods to maintain operations.

FG Opens Online Application To Recruit 500,000 Teachers.

The Federal Government will on Sunday officially open to the public an online application portal to signal the beginning of the recruitment exercise for 500,000 teachers. The internet portal where applicants are expected to file in their applications is npower.gov.ng.

Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, made these clarifications in a statement he released on behalf of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday. Besides, successful applicants who eventually get the job would be entitled to a monthly salary of N23,000 and internet facilities which they can retain after the engagement.

The portal is expected to be fully functional on Saturday June 11, while applications are expected to start trickling in on June 12, next week. Akande advised young unemployed Nigerians to take advantage of the opportunity by visiting the website and apply.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had in his May 29 Democracy Day broadcast to the nation re-echoed his administration’s resolve to provide 500,000 jobs for young unemployed undergraduates to be absorbed into the teaching profession.

He noted that the scheme formed a pivotal part of his social investment programme for which funds have been duly provided in the 2016 budgetary appropriations. Akande said in the statement, “The 500,000 teacher corps, nicknamed N-Power Teach on the portal, is one of the three direct job creation and training schemes Nigerians can start applying for from Sunday, June 12.

“Others are N-Power Knowledge which will train 25,000 Nigerians in the area of technology, and N- Power Build, which trains another 75,000 in the areas of building services, construction, utilities, hospitality and catering, automotive vocations, aluminium and gas services. “All trainees would be paid for the duration of their training.

“The N-Power teacher corps initiative will engage and train 500,000 young unemployed graduates, through a paid volunteer programme of a 2-year duration. “Unemployed Nigerians selected and trained will play teaching, instructional, and advisory roles in primary, and secondary schools, agricultural extension systems across the country, public health and community education, covering civic and adult education.”

Demand by N'Delta Governors that Corruption Investigation in the region be dropped, APC S'South Vindicated

Just as it correctly located the true origins and sponsors of the ND Avenger renegades at its S'South Solidarity Rally in Edo State last week.

Amongst other important declarations, at the Communique of the South South APC leaders and stakeholders issued on Friday, 3rd of June, 2016, at Benin stated as follows:

"The [South South] zone notes the upsurge of renewed militancy in the area, especially the activities of a group that calls itself "Niger Delta Avengers." The zone unequivocally condemns the destructive activities of this group in its entirety.

THE ZONE IS COCK-SURE THAT THE NEFARIOUS AND RUINOUS ACTIVITIES OF THE "AVENGERS" ARE NOT DRIVEN BY ANY PATRIOTIC AND ALTRUISTIC IMPULSE; RATHER, WE HAVE COMPELLING REASONS TO STRONGLY ASSERT THAT THESE ACTIVITIES ARE SPONSORED AND INSTIGATED BY THE OPPOSITION PDP TO DERAIL AND FRUSTRATE THE APC GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI BECAUSE OF ITS DETERMINATION TO FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION, STABILISE AND PUT OUR COUNTRY ON THE PATH OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT."

N'Delta Governors Want Corruption Charges Dropped Across the Region before Oil Pipeline Attacks Stops

Governors of the South-South region who met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House today called for a majority of the corruption cases in the region to be dropped by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), SaharaReporters has learned. The meeting was attended by Governors of Edo, Ondo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Abia, as well as the Deputy Governor of Cross River.

Our source, who was at the meeting, said that only the Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole and the deputy Governor of Cross River opposed the others, who singled out the federal government’s anti-corruption initiative as the reason why Niger Delta Avengers are blowing up pipelines in the region.

Speaking one after the other, the governors reportedly asked the Federal government to drop charges against former militants accused of corruption. They also want the EFCC to stop investigating the campaign fund scam which has so far revealed how former President Goodluck Jonathan shared funds meant that were meant for combating Boko Haram among his People’s Democratic Party functionaries.

Our correspondents also learned that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, was curiously on the side of the South-South governors who want corruption charges and all forms of corruption investigations against the Niger Delta politicians discontinued.

The Governor of Delta, Patrick Okota, reportedly obtained a two-week ceasefire from the Niger Delta Avengers before arriving at the meeting but did not disclose it because he was uncomfortable that the Vice President wasn’t disposed to the idea.
SaharaReporters learnt that through his Deputy, Mr. Okowa had extensive meetings with the Niger Delta Avengers, pointing out that it was evident that he and other South South governors knew who the militants were as he spoke at the meeting.

The source further stated that if the terms pushed by the South South Governors are fully adopted by the Buhari regime, his anti-corruption fight will die prematurely in all of the South South states. He said that from the tone of the meeting, it was clear that the Niger Delta Avengers and their activities are being funded by politicians in the region with the objective of halting Buhari’s anti-corruption war.

A press statement issued at the end of the meeting by the Vice-President’s office indicated that the federal government was represented at the meeting by the Minister of Defense, Rtd. Major General Mohammed Dan Ali; Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani; and Dr. Kachikwu.

Also in attendance were military service chiefs, led by the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt.Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin

In the light of the declared position and treacherous pronouncement of the PDP governors to the effect that the APC Federal Government must stop the EFCC from further investigating and prosecuting heavily corrupt South South PDP politicians who heartlessly looted our common patrimony, it is crystal clear to all that APC leaders in the South South correctly located the true origins and sponsors of the ND Avenger renegade.

STEPHEN KESHI IS DEAD

Nigerian football icon Stephen Okechukwu Chinedu Keshi died suddenly in the early hours of Wednesday in Benin City, Edo state.

He was scheduled to return to the United States on Wednesday evening before he suffered cardiac arrest.

The former international football player and coach had lost his wife of 35 years, Kate, last year after a prolonged battle with cancer.

We confirmed his death from a member of his family as well as one of his close associates.

“He was not ill at all, never showed any signs of  illness, but we suspect he never got over the death of his wife,” a friend said.

He is survived by four children and his mother.

Keshi, the only Nigerian coach to have won the Africa Cup of Nations, achieved a rare feat in 2013 by becoming only the second person to win the trophy both as a player and a coach.

The only other person to have achieved the feat is Egypt’s Mahmoud El-Gohary.

Keshi, a product of St. Finbarr’s College, Akoka, Lagos, started his playing career at a very young age at ACB Football Club, and later played for New Nigeria Bank, Stade d’Abidjan, Africa Sports, Lokeren, Anderlecht, RC Strasbourg, and a host of other clubs.

He represented Nigeria from 1982, at age 20, till 1994, most of the time captaining the Super Eagles and scoring vital goals from his position as a central defender.

He also coached Togo and Nigeria at the World Cup, as well as Mali.

Keshi, nicknamed the “Big Boss” for his leadership skills, is the fifth member of the all-conquering 1994 team to die, following Uche Okafor, Thompson Oliha, Rashidi Yekini and Wilfred Agbonavbare.

‘HE HAS FOUND REST’

Meanwhile, the family has released a statement announcing his death.

The statement signed by Emmanuel Ado was titled: “Stephen Keshi CON has gone to be with his wife”.

“With thanksgiving to God, the Ogbuenyi Fredrick Keshi family of Illah in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, announces the death of Mr. Stephen Okechukwu Chinedu Keshi,” Ado wrote.

“Our son, brother, father, father-in-law,brother-in-law, has gone to be with his wife of 35 years (Nkem), Mrs. Kate Keshi, who passed on on the 9th December 2015.

“Since her death, Keshi has been in mourning. He came back to Nigeria to be with her. He had planned to fly back today Wednesday, before he suffered a cardiac arrest. He has found rest.

“We thank God for his life.

“We want to ask for understanding in this very difficult time for the family.”

BUHARI MUST FULFILL THIS 5 CONDITIONS FOR US OR WE WILL BREAK NIGERIA UP – NEW NIGER DELTA MILITANTS WARNS

Emergent militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, has listed some conditions that should be met by the Federal Government before peace can be returned in the Niger Delta, vowing to “crumble the economy” if its demands are not met.
The group of whom President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the military to crush, had claimed responsibility for the recent bombings of the Chevron valve facility, and the 48-inch trunk line supplying crude oil to Warri refinery.
1. The NDA listed their demands to include: the immediate implementation of the report of the 2014 national conference or the country would break up and insisted that the ownership of oil blocks must reflect 60 per cent for the oil-producing people and 40 per cent for others.
2. The Guardian reports that the NDA also asked Buhari, the Department of State Services, DSS, and Timipre Sylva to apologise to the people of the Niger Delta region and the family of the late former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha for killing him ‘‘with intimidation and harassment because of his party affiliation.’’
3. Stressing that the nation’s only maritime university located in ‘‘the most appropriate and befitting place Okerenkoko must start the 2015/2016 academic session immediately,’’ the militants asked the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi to apologise to the Ijaw and the entire Niger Delta people for his ‘‘careless and reckless statement about the siting of the university.’’
4. According to them, the Ogoniland and indeed all oil-polluted areas in the Niger Delta must be cleaned up and compensation paid to all oil-producing communities.
5. While sympathising with the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, the NDA demanded that the leader of the group, Nnamdi Kanu, should be released unconditionally as a court has ruled. It said that the Niger Delta Amnesty programme must be well funded and allowed to continue to function effectively.
6. Faulting the Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign on the grounds that it is skewed in favour of his political associates, they held that all members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who are indicted in any corruption-related cases should be made to face trial like members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The group warned oil multi-nationals and foreign investors to observe this ultimatum, as their business interest in the country must be the first target of attacks.

Buhari’s medical trip, an embarrassment to Nigeria — Okurounmu

A former Secretary-General of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Senator Femi Okurounmu, says President Muhammadu Buhari’s medical trip to London is an embarrassment and a shame to the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government.

Okurounmu said although the President had the right to seek medical attention, it was unpatriotic for him to travel abroad.

He said apart from being an indictment of the country’s medical system, the medical trip portended a grave danger to the health of the President.

Okurounmu, who represented Ogun-Central senatorial district from 1999 to 2003, spoke in an interview with our correspondent on Monday.

He said, “My view of the President’s medical trip abroad is that it is an indictment of our medical system, and a national embarrassment. If the President could not trust Nigerian doctors to treat a mere ear infection, and had to travel abroad, it showed his level of patriotism and pride.

“Aside this, for the sake of national security, it is unwise for an incumbent President to be seeking medical treatment abroad. Many presidents do not travel out of their countries for medical treatment because the foreign doctors could further incapacitate them or compound their ailments. One never knows which interest the receiving country is protecting.”

The Afenifere chieftain also accused the President of encouraging corruption by failing to include the names of looters in the list of recovered loot released on Saturday.

According to him, by naming and shaming the looters, the President would have succeeded in setting a precedent for future occurrences.

“If Buhari wants to fight corruption successfully, he needs to name the looters, try them and jail them. It is very important to name the looters so that the country would  know them. He is encouraging corruption by merely recovering looted funds and keeping the identity of the thieves from the public. He should do more than name them; he should ensure that they are jailed.”

Reacting to a claim by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, that some robbers burgled his home in Ilorin,  the Kwara State capital, about two weeks ago and stole N12m cash, Okurounmu said keeping that amount at home was suspicious.

He said keeping such an amount at home when the banks were working was a pointer to some illegitimate dealings.

TSA implementation caused retrenchment in banks – Group

The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday blamed the massive retrenchment in the banking sector on the implementation of the Treasury Single Account.

The chamber, while reacting to the gale of job losses in the banks in recent times, called on the Federal Government to come up with measures to assist the financial institutions rather than directing them to stop firing their workers.

We reported last week that Ecobank Nigeria sacked over 1,040 of its employees, while Diamond Bank Plc also retrenched over 200 members of its workforce.

In the same vein, FBN Holdings, the parent company of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, recently said it would prune the number of its employees by 1,000.

As a result of the development, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, had on Friday directed the banks to stop the retrenchment exercise.

The minister further directed that all the retrenchments done in the past four months should be put on hold pending the outcome of a proposed stakeholders’ summit for employers and employees of the banking, insurance and financial institutions scheduled for the first week of July.

“Following the high spate of petitions and complaints from stakeholders in the banking, insurance and financial institutions, I hereby direct the suspension of the ongoing retrenchment in the sector pending the outcome of the conciliatory meetings in the industry,” Ngige had said.

But the President, ACCI, Mr. Tony Ejinkeonye, told our correspondent that the implementation of the TSA had left the banks with severe liquidity problems, which had made them to reduce their workforce in a bid to survive.

He said, “The current retrenchment in the financial services sector as witnessed in some Nigerian Money Deposit Banks could be attributed to the adverse implication of the Single Treasury Account policy of the Federal Government.

“The implementation of Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account policy has left the banks with severe liquidity problem, causing the financial houses to cut their workforce so as to remain in business.

“We call on the Government at this time not to play politics with the job-cut crises in the banking sector, as full employment remains the topmost in the list of macroeconomic objectives of any government.”

JOINT NIGER DELTA LIBERATION FORCE (JNDLF): VACATE THOSE BUILDINGS IN LAGOS, ABUJA AND KADUNA

PRESS STATEMENT
In our final meeting it was resolved that the Nigerian Communication
Statelite Orbit should be shut down so that it will avoid the cause of
electronic radiation to human lives.
Also, the followings occupants of these buildings should as a matter
of urgency vacate in them immediately IN THEIR OWN INTEREST to save
their lives because our fight is not for ANY HUMAN BLOOD but to
destroy all those infrastructures that were built with our oil and gas
monies in this country. We will make federal government and oil
companies to suffer as they have made the people of Niger Delta region
suffers over the years from environmental degradation, and
environmental pollution. They include:
1.      STATE HOUSE, VILLA- ABUJA
2.      DEFENCE HEADQUARTERS
3.      DSS HEADQUARTERS
4.      POLICE HEADQUARTERS
5.      NATIONAL ASSENBLY
6.      NNPC TOWERS
7.      CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA
8.      SUPREME COURT/APPEAL COURT
9.      AGIP HEADQUARTERS, ABUJA
10.     SHELL HEADQUARERS, LAGOS
11.     CHEVRON HEADQUARTERS, LAGOS
12.     EXXON MOBIL, LAGOS
13.     NLNG, LAGOS & ABUJA OFFICES
14.     KADUNA REFINERY
15.     ALL MILITARY FORMATIONS IN ABUJA, LAGOS, KADUNA, BENUE, ETC.
We shall fire these Missiles’ simultaneously at the night, as this
will enable every Nigerians to see the movement of the MISSILES and
equally to believe us of our seriousness attached to the final breakup
as predicted by the United States of America (USA)
We equally advise the Diplomatic Community to be neutral on this issue
as wrong comments against us will be seen as saboteurs. Where they are
staying presently will not be affected which is not part of our
targeted areas of destruction in the country.
“We shall embarrass the self acclaimed Nigerian Air Force with their
recent deployment of fighter aircraft, helicopter gunship and
surveillance aircraft when at this digital age, countries are talking
about Missile development, and they still condescend so low of their
present obsolete equipment. This is sad indeed!”
Note, we are going to destroy the ones they have deployed to Escravos,
Forcados in Delta State; Bonga oil field, Agbami offshore and Brass in
Bayelsa; Bony in Rivers; Qua Iboe Terminal in Akwa Ibom State, and
Opuekeba in Ondo State if they fails to remove them before time. Our
crack team has taken inventory of their equipments. Even the present
suffering from a rare ear disease known as Meniere’s disease by
President Muhammadu Buhari will not win any sympathy to save our
action against the federal government. The name Nigeria as a country
will come to an end this week.
The so called military operations code named “OPERATION PULO SHIELD”
in the Niger Delta region who our partners in the oil bunkering
activities, because presently without been told the former JTF
Commander, Major-General Emmanuel Atewe who was arrested by the EFCC
last week over pipelines surveillance contract amounts to #8.2billion
in the region, is an eye opener to the federal government that the
military are fully involved in illegal bunkering in the area. They
only destroy those who could not afford their bidding and further
lobby to come to the Niger Delta region because of what they are
gaining from the area.
“Imagine, an Army private’s and corporals from the North could build
business plaza of 3 storeys with several estate and other buildings
including exotic cars to the detriment of the region? The Pharaoh of
Nigeria (Buhari) should take the counsel of sycophants and jesters
around him of the region especially Mr. Ayiri Emami and Professor Ita
Sagey who are presently in our searchlight. The founder of the Niger
Delta Ex-Agitators, Israel Akpodoro, is a dead man and that he should
not hide for linking former President, Goodluck Jonathan and Governor
Seriake Dickson with the Avengers. We are not in ANY community, the
Military can’t locate Tompolo but we have identified where he is now.
Presently, Tompolo is in Libya and we’ll get him dead or alive for
betraying us in supporting the federal government against us.
Nigerian Military has weak intelligence gathering mechanism hence they
could not identify our modu oparandi. Nigerian military is only good
in carrying AK47 to harass innocent people and raping young girls and
women”.
“If the oil companies especially Shell and Chevron spents billions of
naira to only undertake repairs of damaged oil and gas pipelines in
the region, when such funds were better channeled for the payments of
Bonga oil spill in 2011 and Chevron gas explosion in Koluama, Bayelsa
state in 2012 would have saved them from these bombing and their
present predicament would have been a thing of the past. Since they
don’t want to hear, we’ll continue to break the pipelines until they
do the needful for our old parents at home because that is the only
language the companies and federal government hears in the country
from the region”.
Signed:
For and on behalf of the Joint Revolutionary Council

GENERAL AKOTEBE DARIKORO (Commander, General Duties)

GENERAL TORUNANAOWEI LATEI (Creeks Network Coordinator)

GENERAL AGBAKAKURO OWEI-TAURO (Pipelines Bleeding Expert)

GENERAL PULOKIRI EBILADEI (Intelligence Bureau)

PDP BoT hands over to Makarfi-led committee

In attendance to the meeting that was done at the early hour of today are, the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, his Ebonyi State counterpart, Dave Umahi, Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, Chairman of the PDP BoT, Sen. Walid Jibrin, Secretary, Amb. Ojo Maduekwe, Senators Stella Omu and Abdul Ningi at the PDP meeting at Wadata House on Tuesday where it was concluded that senator Ahmed markafi should continue leading the party.

The former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus on Tuesday, formally handed the reigns of authority to the Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee.

At the event, Secondus said the party is strong and is working towards ensuring a successful National Convention which would produce leaders who in turn would lead the party to victory in 2019.

He said, “The party is one and is strong. On behalf of members of the former National Working Committee of the PDP, I am here to handover to the Caretaker committee chairman, we are ready to work with you, we are ready to cooperate with you.”

Secondus enjoined party leaders at all levels to go back to their localities and rebuild the party because all politics is local. He stressed that it is not enough to remain in Abuja and claim to have a large following.

Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of the BoT, Sen. Walid Jibrin said the BoT never took over the party that all that it did was to hold the assets and liabilities of the party in trust.

He said he was handing over the secretariat to the Makarfi-led committee and appealed to party members to cooperate with the committee to deliver on its mandate.

JONATHAN FINALLY SPEAKS.....

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has disclosed that he is currently under investigation for corruption.
Jonathan disclosed this yesterday in an interview with Bloomberg in London where he also delivered a speech titled: “Civis Nigerianus Sum-- I am a citizen of Nigeria.”
The former president said he would not comment on the issue until the investigations were concluded.
“Of course, obviously, I would be investigated. In fact I am being investigated. Investigations are going on. I would not want to make certain comments because government is working.
“It would not be proper for immediate past president to make certain statements.
I will allow the government do the work. I wouldn’t want to make serious comments on that.
“After all the investigations, the stories will be properly documented. I have just left office and I should allow the president and his team do what they think is best for the economy.”
He described as false, the claim that he left an empty treasury for his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said: “It is not true; there is no way that he would have inherited an empty treasury and at the same time give bailout to the states. It’s not possible.
“Nigeria is a fairly robust economy but sometimes, we over-politicise some issues and make it look so bad. It was not that bad. Some people ask questions like I was the president of Nigeria since independence; I was the president for 5 years.
“It is routine in Nigeria from the collapse of the first republic, people blamed corruption. When the second republic collapsed, the military blamed corruption. If there is a major change in government, one political party taking over from another one, there must be issues.”
Jonathan said that his administration could not tackle graft in the oil sector because some people were frustrating it, stressing it was the same people that were currently accusing his government of corruption.
“To take just one example, we drastically reduced corruption in the agricultural sector with the help of a simple mobile phone.
“We achieved this by providing an e-wallet to farmers which grew the percentage of registered farmers receiving subsidy from 11% to 94%. And in the process we were also able to save billions of naira in fertiliser subsidies.
“In the area of fertiliser subsidy, we cleaned up and the corruption was removed. I wanted to do the same thing in the oil industry but the same people who are accusing us of corruption are the very people that were frustrating it,” he said.
Jonathan, who said consolidating democracy and the effective war against graft should be the collective responsibility of all citizens, reiterated his commitment to good governance, effective stewardship and transparency.
“For Nigeria to further develop and progress we need peace, freedom and unity. These values need to be deeply, strongly and irreversibly entrenched in Nigeria for all time,” he stated.
He said for this to happen, it was imperative that both the executive and the legislative institute a Bill of Rights.
“A Bill of Rights that will end discrimination and tribalism, and promote equality, enabling everyone to work towards the common goal for the development of the nation.
“A Bill of Rights which like the British Magna Carta, some 800 years ago, enshrined the principle of habeas corpus so that no person is deprived of his liberty without a trial of his peers.”
Jonathan also explained that he called his opponent, Muhammadu Buhari before the final collation of the results of the 2015 presidential election to concede in order to avoid any conflict and ensure a peaceful transition of power.
“This was without precedent in my country and I am proud that it achieved my goal of no conflict arising from the result of the election. Some may think it is ironic that perhaps my proudest achievement was not winning the 2015 presidential election.
“By being the first elected Nigerian leader to willingly hand over power via the ballot box, to the opposition party, without contesting the election outcome, I proved to the ordinary man or woman in the country that I was his or her equal,” he said.
He said it had always been his desire to help consolidate peace and cultivate democracy in Nigeria and across the continent.
He stated: “In fact, it was the key foreign policy objective of my Administration when we were able to help broker peace and restore democracy in Niger, Mali, Guinea Bissau and Cote d’Ivoire. In Niger –The first challenge that confronted ECOWAS when I was Chairman in 2010 was the military intervention there.
“We were able to resolve it through sheer determination and prudent consultations which paved the way for the country’s return to constitutional rule and democracy. In Mali – As the Co-mediator of the effort to return the nation to democracy after a surprising military take-over, I was the only sitting President to visit Mali and meet all the stakeholders in the early and difficult times of the crisis.”
He said the current focus was to uphold democratic principles, promote peaceful political transitions and support citizen entrepreneurship and intra-Africa trade.
“We will achieve this by working with African Governments, the private sector, civil society and other friends of Africa to galvanize action towards improving our societies and making a change in the lives of the ordinary people in our various countries.
“We will work for good governance by promoting credible and transparent elections, as well as peaceful power transfers. I have no doubt that this is the basic requirement we need for strengthening our institutions and enthroning stability,” he said.
The former leader contended that every Nigerian must feel at home in any part of Nigeria.
“As our country increases its equality, its cultural value will increase too. When we increase the cultural value of Nigeria and show it to the world, not only will people spend their business dollars in our country, but their vacation dollars too. You have to buy into the culture of a country before you decide to visit or invest. It will become a self-fulfilling prophecy for our beloved nation.
“As we invest in the equality of our people and strive to make ourselves more equal, the world will take notice. As our image rises in the eyes of others, we will become even prouder of our national culture. This will repeat and repeat in a positive feedback loop where both parts feed each other and grow as a result,” he added.
Jonathan left empty treasury, Presidency insists and however, the Presidency last night insisted that Jonathan left an empty treasury.
Presidential spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, told our correspondent on phone last night that Buhari’s claim of inheriting an empty treasury remained valid.
Adesina was reacting to a claim by Jonathan that he did not leave an empty treasury.
“I have no additional comment other than what President Muhammadu Buhari has said about it,” the presidential aide said.
President Buhari had on June 22, 2015 while meeting with State House reporters disclosed that he met a virtually empty treasury and huge debts left.