Photo: Kogi INEC office razed ahead of tommorrow's supplementary election

 

Some thugs in Kogi state have burnt down the INEC office in Dekina local government area of the state.

 The thugs arrived the INEC office this morning at about 5am, shooting sporadically and then setting the office ablaze.

This action comes barely 24 hours after the supplementary governorship election in the state is to take place. It's happening tomorrow December 5th.

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The N2.1B I collected Was For Publicity And Media In Political Campaigns – Dokpesi

Aeogho Dokpesi, Daar Communication (Ray Power and AIT) founder, has explained what transpired on Tuesday 1 December 2015 when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) invited him.

In a statement signed by the management of DAAR Communications Plc, he said that around 2.00pm that day, the Ag. Chairman of the EFCC, Alhaji Ibrahim Magu, through a phone call, invited him to the Commission.

On getting there, he was requested to, “shed more light on some payments that were made to him through the office of the erstwhile National Security Adviser to the former President, Malam Sambo Dasuki.”

Dokpesi explained to the EFCC officials that the N2.1 billion that he collected from the former NSA was payment for for publicity and media political campaigns during the 2015 General Elections.”

High Chief Aleogho Dokpesi “made his statement on the various media exposures and campaign transactions which were dutifully carried out based essentially on contractual obligations/relationship.”

The statement however did not explain how the office of the National Security Adviser became the cashier office for the payment of campaign expenses and the source of the money.

A special panel and the EFCC are probing how trillions of naira budgeted for defence were spent in the last eight years. An interim report by the panel already reported phoney contracts in excess of $2 billion.

Source : SaharaReporters

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Escaped Jos lion shot dead

Plateau State tourism corporation has confirmed that the lion that escape from Jos Wild life pack this Mrng has been killed.

The deputy general manager of the Plateau State tourism corporation,Timothy Nyam confirmed in an interview that the lion was killed at the wildlife park as it approach the elephant area. 

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Lion escapes from Jos Wild Life Park

A lion has escaped from the Jos Wild Life Park on Wednesday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
According to Mr John Doy, the Acting General Manager, Plateau Toursim Corporation, the lion escaped “at about 8 a.m while it was being fed.”

Doy said that the lion, which had been caged since 1972,“ slipped through the gate of the cage when it was opened for its routine feeding.”

“The animal is still within the vicinity of the Park but our fear is that the Park is not fenced.


“We are struggling to recapture it, but we want members of the public to be vigilant,” he said.

The Acting General Manager said that he had already informed all security agencies to come to the Park’s assistance.

Mrs Naomi Cishak, Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), confirmed news of the escape, but said that the office had not been officially informed.

“We have not been officially informed, but we are aware of the incident; that is why we have not deployed our personnel there,” she said.


When contacted, the Public Relations Officer, Plateau Police Command, Mr Emmanuel Abuh, said: “We are somewhere, cannot talk to anyone”. (NAN)

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Mark Zuckerberg to donate 99% of his wealth to charity.

In a very long letter to his new born daughter yesterday, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan pledged to donate 99% of his Facebook share currently worth about $45billion to the work of their charitable foundation in her honour. Mark wrote;

As you begin the next generation of the Chan Zuckerberg family, we also begin the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to join people across the world to advance human potential and promote equality for all children in the next generation. Our initial areas of focus will be personalized learning, curing disease, connecting people and building strong communities. We will give 99% of our Facebook shares -- currently about $45 billion -- during our lives to advance this mission. We know this is a small contribution compared to all the resources and talents of those already working on these issues. But we want to do what we can, working alongside many others.

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Message From Yahaya Bello to Kogites

I, Alh Yahaya Bello in absolute humility wish to express my profound gratitude to God Almighty who has brought us to this strategic, and historic moment in the history of our beloved state.  The long voyage of unity in the spite of our diversity has again received a boost by the recent events in the history of our democracy.
First, I'd like to accord due respect to the soul of the great Adoja, state leader of our party, APC, and the pioneer of this struggle for liberation of our dear state from economic stagnation. Prince Abubakar Audu was a great man of honour, a visionary leader par excellence. He's an icon of  whose passion for a prosperous Kogi state is unequaled. May his noble soul rest in perfect peace.

The decision of the leadership of our great party that I should step into his big shoes is within the ambit of the rule of law and the principles of internal democracy. In the preservation of the legacies of Prince Abubakar Audu,  I promise to reach out to all the aggrieved parties for reconciliation as we ensure that our broken spirit over his untimely home calling is healed along with every strain in our brotherhood as One Great People.

In a similar vein, I'd like to express sober reflection over the soul of my brother Abdulazeez Omeiza Aliyu,  APC Governorship Aspirant who passed on March 14, 2015  in the course of this struggle. May the Almighty God be pleased with him. And to everyone else who have lost their lives or health as a result of this cause of humanity, you're indeed  our heroes -your labours shall never be in vain.

I want to say "thank you" to all our supporters, at home and in the diaspora and the leadership of our great party who have been passionately committed to this cause with unflinching resilience. Your concerns and the manner you have helped in overcoming the countless challenges of various enormity are well appreciated. You have demonstrated your belief in us; we promise to reciprocate this gesture with endless harvests of democratic dividends, as enshrined in our party manifesto.

There's just a little while before the battle is won, please keep being a source of encouragement to our noble cause. Do well to come out in your numbers, in all the affected polling units, to show your supports once again during the supplementary election. "Do not let your emotions get the best of you. Keep your happiness or excitement in moderation and do not allow anger or provocation lead you into taking the law into your hands".

It's the dawn of a new day for Kogi state! We shall be operating with a new paradigm where our resources must be maximally utilized for the benefit of all. Kogi shall never remain the same again because our priority, by God's grace when we oust the inglorious misrule of the opposition party, is to live in the full reality of the dreams of our founding fathers. Please come along with us as we recreate a Kogi state by all and for all Kogites!

Long live Kogi state!
Love live The All Progressives Congress!
Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria!

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EFCC Arrests Former Daar Communications Chairman, Raymond Dokpesi

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BREAKING: Faleke sues INEC, asks Court to declare him Kogi’s governor-elect

The deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the November 21 election in Kogi State, James Faleke, on Tuesday filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, demanding his declaration as governor-elect.

The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared the election inconclusive. It ordered a supplementary election which will hold on December 5.

Mr. Faleke had on Monday threatened to go to court following the adoption of Yahaya Bello by the APC national leadership as the governorship candidate of the party in the supplementary election.

He also wrote INEC demanding the removal of his name as the running mate to Mr. Bello in the supplementary election.

Mr. Bello’s adoption at the meeting of the National Working Committee of the party followed the death of the former governorship candidate, Abubakar Audu, on November 22.

The party immediately forwarded his name to INEC as replacement for Mr. Audu and that of Mr. Faleke as his running mate.

In the suit filed by his counsel, Wole Olanipekun, Mr. Faleke, a serving member of the House of Representatives, said contrary to the claim by the electoral body, the election was conclusive and that as the running mate to Mr. Audu, he should be declared winner.

The court papers were served on INEC Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Faleke said.
The deputy governorship candidate had written INEC on November 26, insisting that he was the governor-elect following Mr. Audu’s death.
He asked the Commission not to go ahead with the supplementary election.

“In law and logic, no new candidate can inherit or be a beneficiary of the votes already cast, counted and declared by INEC before that candidate was nominated and purportedly sponsored,” Mr. Faleke wrote through Mr. Olanipekun.

“Assuming without conceding that INEC is even right to order a supplementary election, the votes already cast, counted and declared on Saturday, 25th November 2015, were votes for the joint constitutional ticket of Prince Abubakar Audu and our client.

“Therefore, no new or ‘supplementary’ candidate can hijack, aggregate, appropriate or inherit the said votes.”
In another letter to APC Chairman, John Oyegun, Mr. Faleke urged his party to distance itself from the “Greek Gift” being offered to it to nominate a new candidate for a planned supplementary election in 91 polling units.

He said the election had already been won and lost, and that the party should rather support him in actualizing the mandate already given to APC and its candidates.

According to the result declared by INEC, Mr. Audu had the highest number of votes thus leading the 21 other candidates, including the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Idris Wada, who was the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Source: Premiumtimesng

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SSS arrest former NSA, Dasuki Sambo

Operatives of the State Security Service, SSS, this morning took former National Security Adviser, Dasuki Sambo into custody at their "Yellow House” headquarters office near the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

His arrest comes after a Former Minister of State for Finance Bashir Yuguda and 20 others who worked closely with the former NSA were yesterday arrested and interrogated on the procurement of arms to the tune of $2.1 billion during the last administration.

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APC sends Yahaya Bello's name to INEC as late Prince Audu’s replacement

APC has picked and forwarded to INEC Yahaya Bello's name to be its substitute for late Prince Audu Abubakar in the Kogi state supplementary governorship election come December 5th. This move puts a note of finality to who will be representing the party in the supplementary election.

INEC’s Deputy Director in charge of Publicity, Nick Dazang. who confirmed this new development said " They have sent the name of their replacement candidate, the second runner-up in their primaries, that is Yahaya Bello, to the commission.”.

This development comes despite the grumblings from James Faleke, the deputy candidate of Prince Audu Abubakar in the Kogi state November 21st governorship election, who had expected that he would be declared Governor following Audu's death.

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Controversy As Faleke Picks Abubakar Audu’s Son As Running Mate

The running mate to the late Prince Abubakar Audu in the November 21 governorship election in the state, Mr James Faleke, has vowed to reclaim the mandate of the people of the state given freely to the APC during the election.

Faleke who has been picked as the substitute for the late Abubakar Audu, made this assertion while addressing hundreds of APC supporters in Lokoja on Monday.

Quoting a section of the constitution while picking Mohammed Audu as his running mate, he pointed out that attempts to snatch power from the reins of the APC in Kogi State were fruitless as the party is poised to chart a new course for the state.

He explained that there is no contention between him and the immediate political family of late Abubakar Audu and described the task ahead as a moral burden on him to fight on, till the victory of APC is accomplished.

Going back to the primary election conducted on August 28, 2015, he noted that he remained the only person holding on to the votes cast for the APC.

Some APC leaders from the three senatorial districts of the state were present as Mr Faleke made his decision known to his supporters.

Source: Channelstv

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Yahaya Bello fills nomination form as APC candidate for Kogi poll

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has given its Kogi State governorship nomination form to its new candidate, Mr. Yahaya Bello, to fill.

The development may have foreclosed the consideration of any other candidate as the party’s standard bearer.

Bello filled the form, which was signed by a Commissioner of Oath. It was returned to the APC National Secretariat.

It was learnt that the form was attached to the letter of nomination, which the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, sent to INEC on Friday.

The party retained Hon. James Abiodun Faleke as running mate – a position Faleke rejected, insisting on the mandate the people gave the late Abubakar Audu/Faleke ticket.



A top officer of the party said: “We are in receipt of many petitions but it is already late for anybody because we have nominated Yahaya Bello as the party’s substitute for  Prince Abubakar Audu.

“Of course, we have automatically retained Hon. James Abiodun Faleke as our deputy governorship candidate.

“As a matter of fact, we gave the nomination form to Bello to fill on Friday and we have duly submitted all relevant documents to INEC.

“You can direct further enquiries to INEC and Bello, who is now our candidate.”

It was gathered that APC rushed to give the form to Bello, despite the fact that it has up till December 1, to pre-empt legal action especially court injunction.

A member of the NWC said: “We hastily concluded the nomination process to stave off any court injunction which may hinder the party’s chances for the supplementary poll on December 5.

“We took advantage of Friday to seal the process because any of the aggrieved parties could rush to court before Tuesday and allow the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) to emerge winner of the Kogi Governorship Election on a platter of gold.

“If we do not check the dirty war over the substitution of our candidate, APC may be the ultimate loser.”

When contacted, a media aide to Bello said: “It is true that our principal has filled the governorship nomination form as presented to him by APC and we are aware that the form has been submitted.”

A source in INEC also confirmed the submission of the form. “Yes, it has been submitted,” he said pleading not to be quoted.

Source : The Nation 

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Faleke to APC : I am the Kogi State Governor Elect

The All Progressives Congress (APC) running mate in the stalemated governorship election in Kogi State, Mr. Abiodun Faleke, is not disposed to the party’s choice of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as replacement for the late Prince Abubakar Audu.

Faleke yesterday wrote a second letter to the party’s national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun in apparent reaction to the APC decision to pick Bello to replace Audu ahead of the supplementary election scheduled for this weekend. He insisted that he is not prepared to give up his ‘mandate’ for any reason whatsoever.

He said he is the rightful person to step into the late Audu’s shoes, and pleaded the application of the ‘doctrine of necessity’ used in the crisis that trailed the demise of President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2010.

The letter came on a day supporters of the late Audu took to the streets at Itobe in Ajaokuta Local Government area of the state protesting against Bello’s choice.



The protesters blocked the bridge across River Niger which connects areas in Kogi Central, including Anyingba and Dekina.

Faleke in the four page letter written by his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun and entitled RE: JUST CONCLUDED GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION IN KOGI STATE -APC SHOULD NOT SIDETRACK JAMES ABIODUN FALEKE OR SUPER IMPOSE ON HIM ANY OTHER PERSON OR CANDIDATE, said:

“While reiterating and adopting the position of our client as highlighted, expressed and conveyed in our first letter, permit us, most humbly, but frankly to add the following points on behalf  and instruction of our client, that is to say:

(i)The Issue involved is that of constitutional, formal and legal imperatives, rather than political expediency. In the eyes of the Constitution and the law, our client is the governor-elect of Kogi State. There is no gainsaying this fact. It is a truism that cannot be discounted.

(ii) It is the duty of the APC to champion the actualization of its mandate, as well as that of our client. In this wise, we most humbly advise  and caution that the party should be minded of the Ides of November, because  the idea being sold to the APC by the INEC to go and hold a supplementary primary election for the purpose  of bringing forth a governorship  candidate to contest a supplementary  election in 91 polling units is saturated with deleterious legal and constitutional landmines. We posit without any hesitation that at this stage, INEC and all the political parties that took part in the concluded election have reached a point of no return. Thus our client can neither be jettisoned by the APC, nor can a new or fresh candidate be imposed on him as his Principal. The law also does not  recognize  this type of supplementary  election in 91 polling units, with total number  of eligible voters with PVCs not more than 25,000 or thereabout. Otherwise, if the law and Constitution allow it, Kogi State would end up holding a supplementary election, which would also produce a supplementary governor. Put bluntly, there cannot be any legitimate Governor of Kogi State who would emerge from the supplementary election (outside our client) with a maximum of 25,000 votes, assuming all the registered voters with PVCs cast their votes for the anticipatory supplementary governor will also be likened to a Governor of 91 polling units. May we quickly draw your attention to Section 179 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution which states:

“(2) A candidate of an election to the office of Governor of a state shall be deemed to have been duly elected where, there being two or more candidates-

(b) He has not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the state.”

He recalled how the PDP ,in 1999, “called off the bluff of INEC when it ordered a re-run in Adamawa State to elect a fresh or new Governor in place of the then Governor-elect, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who had already transmuted  to be Vice President elect.”

Continuing, he said: “It was the contention of PDP that the then Deputy Governor-elect, Boni Haruna automatically became and assumed the position of governor-elect. The PDP took the matter to court and, at the end of the legal pilgrimage, the Supreme Court agreed with the PDP. Then the Deputy Governor-elect, Boni Haruna, not only assumed position as Governor, but spent two terms in office. With very high respect, we do not expect the APC to do less.

“When the late Umaru Yar’Adua was terminally sick, some leading members of your party in coalition with some decent forces in the country, bandying the ‘doctrine of necessity’ championed the cause of the then Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan to be appointed President. At the end of it all, the National Assembly acceded to this clarion call and Vice President Goodluck Jonathan metamorphosed to acting President. Thereafter, he became substantive President for six years. The point being made by us is that if we could rely on the doctrine of necessity and maximally utilize same to make Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, the sitting President, it then goes without saying that both INEC and the APC must submit themselves to the doctrine of constitutional imperative and/or necessity to allow our client to be Governor -elect of Kogi State.

Faleke said he is not “ready or prepared to trade off or compromise his mandate as the Governor-elect of Kogi State” and does “not want to believe that he is being discriminated against for whatever reason.”

The Itobe protest forced motorists off the roads in the area.

Some travellers had to continue their journey using the waterways at Shintako.

The protesters who were mainly  Igala-speaking said it would be unfair to have an Ebira as governor of the state when the Chief Judge and the Speaker of the state assembly are also Ebira.

A lawyer who was travelling to Odu in Dekina Local Government area said he had to make a detour to avoid running into the protesters.

He said, “I did not envisage this, but I had no option than to turn round and continue on my journey through Shintako. I had paid N2, 500 to put my vehicle on the ferry across the water to Bassa, from where I continued”.

Efforts made to get response from the police on what it is doing to forestall the protest spreading to other areas of the state was unsuccessful as at the time of sending this report.

The Head of Media, Prince Abubakar Audu/Faleke campaign organization, Dr Tom Ohikere at a press conference in Lokoja warned the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, to avoid any act capable of setting Kogi State on fire.

According to Ohikere, the presidency and APC leadership cannot pretend to be unaware of the provisions of the law, where a running mate to a deceased candidate in an ongoing election steps in as the party’s flag bearer.

“Let me open up to you now. Our political mentor and father, the late Prince Audu on his dying bed, gave instruction to us (his followers), that should he not make it, the baton must be passed to his running mate, Faleke, who he said is capable of carrying on with his vision.

“I want to categorically tell you that the party/executive’s conspiracy started when they heard that Prince Audu was dead, and in an ulterior move to avoid a non-Muslim from stepping in, the INEC returning officer was quickly directed to declare the result inconclusive.”

Source: The Nation

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It’s Audu’s son or nobody, lawmakers tell APC

Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Kogi State House of Assembly yesterday told the national leadership of the party that they would not hesitate to impeach anyone brought in as a replacement for the late governorship candidate of the party, Prince Abubakar Audu, if the party failed to pick his first son, Mohammed.

Addressing a news conference after a meeting with the national leadership, spokesman of the legislators, Alfa Momoh Rabiu representing Ankpa 2 Constituency, said they had collectively resolved that Mohammed Audu should replace his father as the candidate of the party.

The lawmakers spoke as supporters of Hon James Abiodun Faleke practically paralysed activities around the national secretariat for several hours as they sang and dance with placards, demanding that Faleke be made the substantive replacement for the late Audu.

Rabiu who claimed that their position had the backing of all National Assembly members from the state, members of the state executive of the party and other APC leaders in the state however said that they were not asking Faleke to abandon the ticket, but should remain deputy to Mohammed Audu.

He said: “Based on our discussion, we have taken a decision and taken our resolution to the national chairman. We are overwhelmed by the response from them, but we are still waiting for a safe landing so that Kogi will not be doomed.



“We told the national chairman that on no account should anybody be smuggled in to occupy that position which we worked for in conjunction with the late Audu, without who there will be no APC in Kogi State.

“We present to the national leadership, Prince Mohammed Audu, to replace his late father. It is not because he is the first son, but try him, he is very intelligent and equal to the task. With him, we will have the Kogi of our dream.

“We also resolved and we will appreciate if the leadership will understand that we came to complain to them with pains and tell them our position because of the commitment of our leader and we don’t want Kogi to be left in the hands of the PDP any longer.

“We are the legislators and have told the national chairman our position that in case anybody is smuggled in contrary to what we present to them, we know the best way to remove him.

“It is not a threat, but we told them that we have no
intention of washing our dirty linen in public. Removing somebody is just a two minutes job for us as lawmakers in the state.

“We want the change we worked for and we want Kogi to be part of the moving train.

“We are the electorate and we know why we are here. There will be no solution to this problem without giving us listening ear. Prince Audu was the man who went through primary before nominating Faleke as his deputy.

“We are not asking Faleke to stay away from the ticket. We equally worked with him during the campaigns. What we are saying is that it should be Mohammed Audu/Faleke ticket. The two of them must work together.”

However, supporters of Hon. Faleke who were also at the national secretariat said the best thing to do in the circumstance was to allow Faleke to step into Audu’s shoes, having been voted for alongside the late Audu.

In a letter to the National Working Committee on behalf of APC from Kogi West, signed by former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Clarence Olafemi, the Faleke supporters said they were opposed to giving the ticket to anyone who has not laboured for it, adding that Faleke should be allowed to carry on in the spirit if equity, fairness and justice.

Source :The nation

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APC picks Yahaya Bello as Audu’s replacement

After extensive consultations, the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday submitted the name of Yahaya Bello as the party’s new candidate for Kogi governorship supplementary poll.

Bello replaces Prince Abubakar Audu, who died last weekend after leading the poll with 41,000.

It was also learnt that the APC has retained Hon. James Abiodun Faleke as the party’s deputy governorship candidate.

Mohammed Audu, the son of the late governorship candidate, was dumped by the party because the party felt that fielding him might vitiate the entire governorship poll in the state.

But the people of Kogi West were mounting pressure on Faleke yesterday not to accept the nomination of Bello.



Although they asked Faleke to withdraw from the race, the deputy governorship candidate was yet to make up his mind on the next step at press time.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that APC leaders, with the backing of some forces in the Presidency, opted for Bello because he came second in the party’s primaries behind Audu.

It was also gathered that the APC leaders felt there was no way Mohammed Audu could be fielded as a compromise candidate since he was not a candidate in the primaries.

A top source in APC said: “Our leaders met and after consultations reached a conclusion on the choice of Yahaya Bello from Kogi Central as the party’s governorship candidate to substitute the late Prince Abubakar Audu.

“The leaders arrived at the conclusion because Bello was second to Audu at the validly conducted governorship primaries of the party. Instead of running into crisis with fresh primaries, the party opted to dust up the result of the previous one which was witnessed by INEC.

“A letter, signed by the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on the choice of Bello has been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday.”

Asked of other factors behind the choice of Bello, the top APC leader said: “Our leaders bought into the idea that Faleke is strange to the politics of the state, having had most of his political career in Lagos. They felt it is better for him to learn the ropes in the state before becoming a governor.

“They also argued that the choice of Bello will ensure power shift in the state and since the Ebiras were behind Audu, it won’t be difficult to foster understanding between Kogi East and Kogi Central Senatorial Districts.

“Do not forget that Kogi East had already produced the minister from the state.

“Another important factor is that some of the 91 polling units where elections were cancelled are in Kogi Central, and it will be easier to mobilize the electorate in the district to get the required votes to defeat the PDP candidate, Governor Idris Wada.

“There was also some conspiracy behind the refusal of the ticket for Faleke. Some presidency forces stamped their feet that he must not be allowed to step into Audu’s shoes because of internal power struggles in APC.

“I won’t give you names but the forced were more powerful than Oyegun and other NWC members.”

On the dumping of Mohammed Audu, the source said: “Our leaders were guided by Section 141 of the Electoral Act. If we choose him, the entire election will be voided.

“The section says: ‘An election tribunal or court shall not under any circumstance declare any person a winner at an election in which such a person has not fully participated in all the stages of such election.

“We love the Audus but we cannot take such a big risk. If Wada and PDP go to court, they will win against Mohammed Audu.”

Source : Thenation

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We've activated Safety Check again after the bombing in Nigeria - Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg

Founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg took to his Facebook wall to announce that they have activated the safety check on their site following the bomb blast in Yola, Adamawa state yesterday.

Facebook came under fire for a perceived Western bias when it activated Safety Check after the Paris attacks, with critics noting that terrorist attacks in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia hadn't previously warranted its deployment. The safety check enables Facebook users announce that they are still alive after a mishap in any troubled zone

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President Buhari orders arrest of ex-NSA Dasuki, others indicted in arms contract report

Press statement from the presidency
On the authority of Mr President, a 13 man committee was set up by the Office of the National Security Adviser to audit the procurement of arms and equipment in the Armed Forces and Defence sector from 2007 to date. While the committee which was inaugurated on 31 August 2015 is yet to complete its work, its interim report has unearthed several illicit and fraudulent financial transactions.

As part of the findings, the committee has analyzed interventions from some organizations that provided funds to the Office of the National Security Adviser, Defence Headquarters, Army Headquarters Naval Headquarters and Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, both in local and foreign currencies.

So far the total extra budgetary interventions articulated by the committee is Six Hundred and Forty Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Seventeen Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty Five Hundred Naira and Eighteen Kobo (N643,817,955,885.18).

The foreign currency component is to the tune of Two Billion, One Hundred and Ninety Three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifteen Thousand US Dollars and Eighty Three Cents ($2,193,815,000.83).

These amounts exclude grants from the State Governments and funds collected by the DSS and Police. It was observed that in spite of this huge financial intervention, very little was expended to support defense procurement.

The committee also observed that of 513 contracts awarded at $8,356,525,184.32; N2,189,265,724,404.55 and €54,000.00; Fifty Three (53) were failed contracts amounting to $2,378,939,066.27 and N13,729,342,329.87 respectively.

Interestingly, it was noted that the amount of foreign currency spent on failed contracts was more than double the $1bn loan that the National Assembly approved for borrowing to fight the insurgency in the North East.

The committee also discovered that payments to the tune of Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N3,850,000,000.00) were made to a single company by the former NSA without documented evidence of contractual agreements or fulfillment of tax obligations to the FGN.

Further findings revealed that between March 2012 and March 2015, the erstwhile NSA, Lt Col MS Dasuki (rtd) awarded fictitious and phantom contracts to the tune of N2,219,188,609.50, $1,671,742,613.58 and €9,905,477.00. The contracts which were said to be for the purchase of 4 Alpha Jets, 12 helicopters, bombs and ammunition were not executed and the equipment were never supplied to the Nigerian Air Force, neither are they in its inventory.

Even more disturbing was the discovery that out of these figures, 2 companies, were awarded contracts to the tune of N350,000,000.00, $1,661,670,469.71 and €9,905,477.00 alone. This was without prejudice to the consistent non-performance of the companies in the previous contracts awarded.

Additionally, it was discovered that the former NSA directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to transfer the sum of $132,050,486.97 and €9,905,473.55 to the accounts of Societe D’equipmente Internationaux in West Africa, United Kingdom and United States of America for un-ascertained purposes, without any contract documents to explain the transactions.

The findings made so far are extremely worrying considering that the interventions were granted within the same period that our troops fighting the insurgency in the North East were in desperate need of platforms, military equipment and ammunition. Had the funds siphoned to these non performing companies been properly used for the purpose they were meant for, thousands of needless Nigerian deaths would have been avoided.

Furthermore, the ridicule Nigeria has faced in the international community would have been avoided. It is worrisome and disappointing that those entrusted with the security of this great nation were busy using proxies to siphon the national treasury, while innocent lives were wasted daily.

In light of these findings, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that the relevant organizations arrest and bring to book, all individuals who have been found complicit in these illegal and fraudulent acts.

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Deputy Senate president Ike Ekweremadu escapes attempted assasination

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu says he escaped an assassination attempt yesterday  November 17th.
Ekweremadu's special adviser on media, Uche Anichukwu made this known in a statement he released yesterday evening. The statement in part reads;

“The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, escaped suspected assassination attempt, Tuesday. The attempt occurred at about 10:00am between Apo Flyover and Dantata Construction Company’s yard, close to the Old Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Headquarters junction on his way to work.

The suspected assassins who operated in a tinted, white-coloured Mercedez Benz AMG E63 without a plate number, were chauffeured by a long-bearded light skinned foreigner, apparently a mercenary. The vehicle, which was positioned by the Apo Bridge, on noticing that the Deputy President of the Senate’s convoy took the right turn to join the Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway instead, made a turn. The occupants attempted to attack the convoy, but were blocked. The driver violently broke into the convoy and they made several frantic attempts to attack the Senator’s official car. When charged at by the security operatives attached to the deputy president of the senate, the Benz driver made a U-turn, and partially smashed an oncoming vehicle on the opposite lane of the highway and escaped. The development has already been reported to the security agencies.”the statement read

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Fashola, Amaechi, Amina Mohammed others to earn N485m yearly

The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, have approved the  remuneration packages of each of the 37 ministers sworn in by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday.

According to Punch, a committee chaired by Chairman of Remuneration Committee, Mr. Abdullahi Inde, new packages prepared by the committee, had been ratified at a retreat held for commissioners of the agency, which was concluded recently in Owerri.

The recommendations of the committee concentrated on the allowances of political and judicial office holders as the salary packages will not depart significantly from the status quo.


However, after the preparation of the new packages by RMAFC, it still has to be presented to the Federal Executive Council which has the responsibility to present it to the National Assembly as a bill for enactment as an Act of Parliament.


Chairman of RMAFC, Mr. Elias Mbam, on Saturday said that the new packages would soon be made public. He said the work was “going through a process of editing.”


Presidency sources said that the new ministers would be paid in accordance with the existing statute because the reviewed package was not ready.

According to the current package, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed and other senior ministers will get N4,052,800 as housing allowance.

 The annual housing allowance is 200 per cent of a minister’s annual remuneration.
Each of the ministers is also entitled to N6, 079,200 as furniture allowance.


 The furniture allowance is 300 per cent of a minister’s annual salary. Unlike the housing allowance, however, the furniture allowance is paid once in four years.

This means the furniture allowance per annum is N1,519,800.
Should any of the ministers desire, they are also entitled to N8,105,600 as motor vehicle allowance.
The motor vehicle allowance is, however, a loan repayable by the end of the tenure of the minister.

The annual basic salary of a substantive minister is N2,026,400. On monthly basis, this amounts to N168,866:66.

Apart from the monthly basic salary, there are other perks that each minister will receive at the end of each month.

 These include motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance of N1, 519,800 (annual value) with a monthly value of N126,650. The vehicle maintenance allowance is 75 per cent of the annual basic salary.

The personal assistant allowance of N506,600 per annum is also payable. This has a monthly value of N42,216.66. This allowance is calculated as 25 per cent of the basic salary.

Each of the senior ministers is entitled to a payment of N1,519,800 for domestic staff. This is 75 per cent of the annual basic salary and on monthly basis amounts to N126, 650.

For entertainment, each of the ministers is entitled to N911,880 annually or N75,990 per month. This is 45 per cent of the annual basic salary.

For utilities, each of the ministers is entitled to 30 per cent of their annual salary which translates to N607,920 per annum or N50,660 a month.

For monitoring, each of the ministers is entitled to 20 per cent of their annual basic salary. This translates to N405,280 per annum or N33,773.33 per month.

For newspapers/periodicals, each of the senior ministers will get 15 per cent of the annual basic salary. This translates to N303,960 per annum or N25,330 per month.

Allowances for their security personnel, medicals and special assistants are also provided. The tour duty allowance is N35,000 per night; the estacode is $900 per night and the leave allowance is 10 per cent of their annual salary or N202,640.

The summation of these annual allowances is N13,374, 240 for each minister excluding the optional vehicle allowance. Yearly, the Federal Government is expected to pay the 24 senior ministers no less than N320,981,760.

Each of the ministers of state, on the other hand, is entitled to N3, 915,160 as housing allowance and N5,872,740 as furniture allowance. Should any of the ministers desire, they are also entitled to N7, 830,320 as motor vehicle allowance, which is a loan repayable by the end of the tenure of the minister.

The annual basic salary of a substantive minister of state is N2,026,400. On monthly basis, this amounts to N168,866:66.

The state ministers are also entitled to other perks. These include motor vehicle fuelling and maintenance allowance of N1, 468,185 (annual value) with a monthly value of N122,348.

The personal assistant allowance of N489,395 per annum is also payable. This has a monthly value of N40,782.91. This allowance is 25 per cent of the basic salary.

Each of the state ministers is entitled to a payment of N1,468,185 for domestic staff. This is 75 per cent of the annual basic salary and on monthly basis amounts to N122,348.75.

For entertainment, each of the state ministers is entitled to N880,911 annually or N73,409.25 per month.

This is 45 per cent of the annual basic salary.
For utilities, each of the ministers is entitled to 30 per cent of their annual salary which translates to N587,274 per annum or N48, 939.50 a month.

For newspapers/periodicals, each of the state ministers will get 15 per cent of the annual basic salary. Which is N293,637 per annum or N24, 469.75 per month.

The security personnel, medicals and special assistants are also provided for the state ministers. The tour duty allowance is N30,000 per night; the estacode is $900 per night and the leave allowance is 10 per cent of their annual salary or N195,758.

The summation of these annual allowances for the junior ministers is N12,597,332 for each minister excluding the optional vehicle allowance. Yearly, the Federal Government is expected to pay the 13 junior ministers no less than N163,765,316.

Source :PunchNG 

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