3 Things That'll Happen To Saraki If Found Guilty By CCT

Nigeria's Senate President Bukola Saraki is currently on trial at the
code of conduct tribunal for fraud in asset declaration while in
office.



According to the Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended),
if found guilty, Saraki shall be face any or all of the following:

1. removal from office,
2. disqualification from holding any public office
3. forfeiture to the state, any property acquired in abuse of office.

However the tribunal chairman, Justice Danladi Umar before adjourning
the case to October 21-23rd had ruled that the charges are criminal in
nature.

Therefore it's possible criminal punishments be applied.

-NigeriaBulletin

Police Raid Imo Community Over Death Of Customs Officer

No fewer than 48 persons were arrested by the anti- robbery squad of
the Imo State Police Command at Umuhu community in Ngor- Okpala
Council Area of the State in the early hours of yesterday, after the
murder of a Customs officer.

It was gathered that, at about 9 pm on Tuesday, Customs officers who
were relaxing inside their checkpoint tent opposite the Federal Road
Safety Commission (FRSC) office at Mbutu Okoahia in Umuhu community,
were attacked by yet-to-be identified assailants who hacked one of
them to death.

A reliable source in the community told Daily Sun that the late
Customs officer had gone to the back of the tent to find out why their
power generating set stopped abruptly, unknown to him and his
colleagues that the assailants, who apparently disrupted their power
supply, were lying in wait in the nearby bush.

According to the source, the deceased was attacked with an axe and his
loud cry attracted his colleagues, who rushed to the scene and were
attacked with matchets and axe .

Though the other two officers escaped with serious injuries, the first
victim, an indigene of Akwa Ibom State, died instantly.

Confirming the attack on the Customs men, an official of the FRSC,
who pleaded anonymity, said the murdered Customs officer was stabbed
on the back by his attackers.

When contacted, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Taiwo
Lakanu, said shortly after the attack, a crack team of the special
anti- robbery squad was deployed to the community to comb for the
assailants,adding that the hoodlums also stole two service pistols
belonging to the attacked Customs officers.

He said those who have been arrested would be interrogated and if not
found culpable, would be released, assuring that the police had spread
its dragnet wide to arrest those behind the attack.
Meanwhile, most villagers had deserted their homes for fear of being arrested.

-TheSunNews

“You Are A Liar And Mischief Maker” -- Timipre Sylvia Tells Oshiomhole

Former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva has described as a
deliberate "act of mischief" and "lies" the claims by the Edo State
Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole that he truncated the electoral
process during the disputed governorship primaries of the All
Progressive Congress APC in the state.

According to him, though the Edo State Governor was the Chairman of
the Election Committee and had left the venue of the primaries, the
election which led to his emergence as the flag bearer of the party
was free, fair and without violence as claimed by the Edo State
governor, Adams Oshiomhole.

Sylva in a statement issued through his Media Adviser, Doifie
Bukoribo, Wednesday night said "It is unfortunate that people like
Adams Oshiomhole, the governor of Edo State and former president of
the Nigeria Labour Congress, who pretend to be incorruptible, would
conduct himself in the manner in which he did in relation to the
Bayelsa State governorship primary. It was clear that Oshiomhole never
wanted to conduct the primary as scheduled.

"First, on his request, the primary was shifted from its earlier date
of Saturday, September 19 to the Tuesday, September 22 date. The
grouse of the delegates was that the primaries had been shifted once
on Oshiomhole's request. That shift caused enough hardship already.
The 'comrade' was again shifting the goal post, without giving
consideration to these hapless delegates. It was that frustration that
we were managing. It is so sad that the governor did not appreciate
our effort."

"Second, as chairman of the APC Electoral Committee, Oshiomhole knew
full well that accreditation of delegates was to begin at 8am on
Tuesday, September 22, but he came to the venue of the programme well
past 12 noon. After he arrived at that late hour, he proceeded with a
meeting with the committee members and another meeting with the
aspirants. He clearly had preconceived plans about the Bayelsa APC
governorship primary.

"Third, Oshiomhole cannot really say anything about the primary
election because he had left the venue at the time voting commenced.
Oshiomhole set the process in motion for voting to commence before he
excused himself on the grounds that he was going to eat, and he
mandated other members of the committee to carry on without him.

"The world needs to know that the Bayelsa State Electoral Committee is
made up of seven members, and of the seven only Oshiomhole left. The
other six remained, conducted the primary and declared Sylva winner of
the exercise.

"Fourth, it bothers on pettiness for Governor Oshiomhole to quote me
as antagonist to new entrants to our party. Every discussion I had
with the governor was public.
"The only private conversation I had with him was when he walked up to
me and asked me if I truly believed he was working against my
interest. To that I answered 'YES'. As a man of integrity (?) he even
offered to step down as chairman. If he had stepped down would that
have invalidated the primaries? We should refrain from exaggerating
our worth and integrity. Let other good people judge our character."

"After all, I was the one that received all new entrants. Oshiomole
was invited and he did not come.Fifth, Oshiomhole came to Yenagoa with
a clear agenda, which was to get me out of the race at all cost. We
are aware that he had been lobbying at the centre to get me out of the
race in order to pave the way for one of the aspirants. Indeed, one of
the aspirants had boasted openly that Oshiomhole would cancel the
primary once he arrived, shortly before his arrival.

"Oshiomhole should not tell lies, if I was not there, contrary to his
insinuation that I rented thugs to manhandle him, the crowd would have
manhandled him. I personally accompanied Oshiomhole to the gate when
he was going to eat.

"Seventh, if Oshiomhole has anything personal against me, let him tell
the world. We are shocked that the man who claims to be morally
upright with a strong ethical orientation would land in Yenagoa for an
exercise in which he ought to be an impartial arbiter with a
helicopter provided by a friend of one of the aspirants."

-Vanguard

HID Awolowo To Be Buried On Her 100th Birtbday, Nov 25 -- Daughter

The eldest daughter of HID Awolowo, Rev. Omotola Oyediran, has said
the remains of her mother will be buried on her centenary birthday,
November 25.

The matriarch of the Awolowos died on Saturday, September 19, exactly
67 days to her 100th birthday. She was aged 99.

Responding to President Goodluck Jonathan's condolence message,
Oyediran appreciated the former President and his wife for coming all
the way from Bayelsa State to condole with the family.

She recalled that during Jonathan's many visits to the deceased, she
usually referred to the former President as her 'son.'

She said, "What can we say but to give God all the glory for a very
beautiful life she lived. She has done so much and it is impossible
for us to put all that she has done together.

"I want to assure you that though some of you have received letters in
the past about the centenary in order to write tributes for her, I
want to assure you that those tributes will be printed.

"I want to assure the Christian Association of Nigeria that we are
going to give them a special time when the time comes.

"I want to appeal to all of you to be part of celebrating Mama, by the
grace of God, we haven't concluded the arrangements but I would let
you know that the very day that she was supposed to be 100 years, she
would be buried.

"There will be dancing and a few tears at the burial of who I call Iya Niwura.

"There is no way you can separate Papa from Mama and Mama from Papa,
the story is one.

"It is interesting that Papa passed on on Saturday, May 9, 1987 and
Mama also died on Saturday, September 19, 2015, we give God all the
glory.

"We thank you all and we look forward to seeing you on the 25th of November."

Also responding , the youngest child of HID Awolowo, Dr. Tokunbo
Awolowo-Dosunmu, said the family would continue to cherish the good
legacies their parents had left behind.

-PUNCH

Abducted Former SGF, Olu Falae Regains Freedom

The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation,Chief Olu
Falae who was kidnapped earlier this week has regained his freedom,
Africa Independent Television, AIT has reported.

Falae was kidnapped on Monday at his farm in Ondo State by people
described as Fulani herdsmen.Newsdiaryonline had reported that the
abductors demanded N100million ransom.It was not known at the time of
filing this story if any ransom was paid.

But President Muhammadu Buhari earlier today condemned the abduction
of Falae and ordered the security agencies to ensure his safe rescue.

Also, Afenifere, the socio-cultural group in the South West had
earlier today warned against anything untoward happening to Falae.

Afenifere in a statement by its Spokesman,Yinka Odumakin urged
northern leaders to ask the Fulani herdsmen to release the former
presidential candidateAfenifere revealed that Falae and the Fulani
herdsmen had been engaged in some running battles over his farm..

Falae's reported release is expected to douse the tension trailing his kidnap.

Mass Failure: WAEC To Investigate Result Disparity With NECO

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is to investigate the
disparity in student's performance between the examination it
conducted and that of the National Examination Council (NECO).

The head of the National Office of the examination body, Mr. Charles
Eguridu, told newsmen in Abuja, that the council would not compromise
standards and its marking schemes on the altar of mass appeal and
patronage.

He however assured that the research department of the council will
conduct an extensive investigation and comparison with the results
released by the two examination bodies with a view to addressing areas
that needed urgent improvement.

Recall that in the release of results for the May-June Certificate
Examinations conducted by the two examination bodies recently, WEAC
candidates recorded 30-33 percent levels of performance while the
candidates for NECO recorded 70 percent success.

Meanwhile, the West African Examinations Council has concluded
arrangement to change the titles of the two examinations on its
stable.

The Head of the National Office of the body told newsmen that as from
2016, the May/June Examination will be known as School Certificate
Examination while the Nov/Dec. Examination will be known as Private
Candidates Examination.

He further disclosed that candidates from Ghana have for the past
three years been coming tops in the overall performance of the
students at the sub regional levels.

-DailyTimes

Arsene Wenger & Wife Officially Seperate

Arsenal football team manager, Arsene Wenger and his wife, Annie have
formally separated.

According to Daily Mail, the couple had a 'separation of bodies'
judgment issued by a judge in Paris, meaning that they are free to see
other people.

However, Wenger is still expected to support Annie, 59, financially,
and the pair have have reportedly divided up their assets and agreed
on a financial package in their terms of separation.

The couple were in a long-term relationship since the 90s, before
finally getting married in 2010. They have an 18-year-old daughter.

Speaking on the issue, a legal expert says:

"This is a legal separation, which means the couple are not legally
obliged to live together, and they can have separate lives, and no
longer have intimate relations.

He will have to still keep his responsibilities to look after the
family. If the judgment is not overturned within two years, a divorce
will be automatically granted."

Photo Credit: Daily Mail

Imo Govt Concessions 29 Agencies, 38 Health Facilities

Imo State government has finally concessioned more than 29 Parastatals
and 38 Health facilities including all the general hospitals in the
state to inject life into them and make them effective and productive
to achieve the aims of establishing them.

The state government also suspended some permanent secretaries,
Directors of Accounts and few other officials who were indicted by the
report of the recent verification and audit exercise carried out in
the state.

Most of these parastatals and Health facilities according to
government have continued to enjoy the government's "huge monthly
subventions without any thing to show for such cash investments."

Some of the parastatals listed for concessioning are those of Imo
Newspapers, Imo Orientation Agency, NEPAD, Imo ADP, Agric Loans Board,
Water Corporation, PFMU and PSGRDP, Consumer Protection Council, Imo
State Council for Arts and Culture, Imo State Sports Council, Imo
State Tourism Board, Imo State Zoological Garden, Imo State Library
Board, Imo Job Centre and Imo State Investment Promotion Agency.

Others are the State Directorate for Employment, Okigwe Cattle Market,
Imo Livestock, Ministry of Agric and Natural Resources Shop,
Niger-Delta Bureau, Poverty Alleviation Bureau, IWADA, Bureau for
Public Procurement and Price Intelligence, ENTRACO, Imo Marketing
Company, Imo Blue Lake Oguta and Imo Essential Drug.

Health facilities the government has also listed to concession their
managements are the General Hospitals and Health Centres in the 27
Local Government Areas in the state including the General Hospitals at
Aboh Mbaise, Ngor Okpala, Ihitte Uboma, Okigwe, Aro-ndizogu, Mberi,
Awo Omama, Oguta, Ogwa, Ohaji Egbema and the Specialist Hospital,
Umugwuma.

In the case of the Health Centres and General Hospitals, the
government said it concessioned their respective managements to give
them the needed teeth to make the Health-care delivery system in the
state responsive, effective and service-oriented especially when the
government's experience in the affected Health outfits have been
nauseating.

In addition to the concession, the government has also dissolved the
Youth Must Work Scheme with the aim of re-organising it and making it
more efficient to achieve the goal for which it was set up

However, the government said that Primary and Secondary teachers
recruited under the Youth Must Work Scheme would not be affected by
the dissolution.

Also dissolved, the statement said is the elected officials of the
Community Government councils (CGC), adding that the action was also
designed to help in repositioning the CGC to make it very vibrant and
result-oriented.

In the same vein, the state government disclosed that it has taken
over Imo State Teaching Hospital staff Primary School at Orlu and FSP
Primary School Ugwu-orji, Owerri to enable them enjoy the free
education programme of the state government and also take the two
schools to the expected level in terms of quality.

Meanwhile, the Governor, Rochas Okorocha has directed the immediate
payment of salary arrears of all the staff in the affected parastatals
listed for concession, the hospitals and health centres also affected,
and those of CGC.

While appealing to
indigenes of the state for their cooperation and understanding, the
governor explained that the actions were taken in the overall interest
of the state and her people, adding that it was designed to keep the
state on the fast lane of development.

-NationalMirror

Fears As Lagos Records New Bird Flu Cases

New incidences of bird flu have been recorded in Lagos state, with an
estimated 60,000 birds already affected, the News Agency of Nigeria
reports amid mounting fears and panic.

Executive Secretary of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, Lagos State
chapter, Mr. Olugbenga Ogunsetan, confirmed this yesterday in Lagos.

He said several poultry farms were affected by the avian influenza in
Ikorodu area of the state.

"Over 60,000 birds were lost in August after the avian influenza
ravaged the farms.

"This has largely affected production of poultry products and leading
to price hike in the area," Ogunsetan said.

Meanwhile, the state government said it was making arrangement with
the Federal Government for compensation to the affected poultry
farmers.

The Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Agriculture, Dr.
Olajide Basorun, who spoke on the compensation move, corroborated the
severity claim by the PAN scribe.

He said that compensating affected farmers would encourage others, who
were afraid to report the case, to come forward.

"The Lagos state government, in collaboration with the Federal
government, is already thinking of ways to support these farmers,
whose poultry were affected by the scourge.

"Many economies have shut down because of this avian influenza and
these economies have dependants, which mean a lot of people have lost
their livelihoods.

"Government is mindful of that and is working out modalities to
compensate the farmers so that others, who have the flu and have not
reported or are under reporting, will be encouraged to come forward,"
he said.

The permanent secretary said government does not want a scenario were
the farmers, who do not report, will sell their birds to unsuspecting
public.
He said where there was a reported case, the ministry had moved
swiftly to conduct tests and depopulate such farm.
-Vanguard

Let Pensioners Eat Sand

One first reaction on reading some newspaper headlines out of Nigeria
is one of incredulity. It simply can't be true, one declares.
Such was my reaction last week when I saw a report in the Guardian newspaper.

The
report, written by Charles Ogugbuaja, was titled "Imo Pensioners Owed
Over 20 Months Arrears." For a few minutes, I just stared at the
headline, unable to come to terms with the sheer absurdity of it all.
Was it even possible that a government, any government, would leave
pensioners in the lurch for so long, without any income?

Would such a government not simply collapse under the weight of its
own contradiction?
Would the abused pensioners and their supporters not stake out the
grounds of Government House, daring the delinquent governor to step
out of his office?

Eventually, I was able to shake off the initial shock. I began to read
the report. In an instant, my reaction went from disbelief to disgust
to outrage
"As many pensioners and unpaid workers were groaning, the Imo State
Governor, Rochas Okorocha, on Wednesday, traveled with about 100
persons to Turkey on what he called industrial fact finding trip.
Industrialists and others were on the trip. It was the second time in
months [that]the governor was leading such a large number to the same
country," the Guardian report disclosed.

According to the report, retired civil servants in the state were
being owed arrears of eight months while retired primary school
teachers claimed that they had not received any pensions for 22
months.

Even so, the state government's share of the monthly allocation from
the Federation account came to slightly more than N3.9 billion for
July. In addition, the state received more than N3 billion in the name
of 27 local government councils.

Going by the report, Imo State had got some significant financial
breaks from the Federal Government.

It
said Governor Okorocha had recently revealed that the Federal
Government had restructured the monthly deductions from the state's
allocations that went into debt servicing. The restructuring meant
that the state now spends N480 million on debt servicing instead of
N1.2 billion.
Besides, the state had received bailout funds for payment of workers
salaries and pensioners' arrears.

Even though the governor had not divulged the exact amount of the
bailout, figures released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
indicated that Imo State "received about N26.806 billion," the
Guardian reported.

Apparently, Mr. Okorocha, who recently told state workers that his
administration spends N1.2 billion each month to pay salaries, wants
certain state-owned agencies to commercialize their activities,
earning enough revenues to cover staff salaries. And apparently, the
20,000 workers employed by these agencies are opposed to the option of
commercializing their operations.
According to the Guardian, the governor has alleged that "more than 40
per cent of those who parade as pensioners are ghost[s], adding that
they had been allegedly colluding with some treasury officials to
defraud [the]government." The state government has called for "another
round of verification exercise," to separate the real pensioners from
ghost leeches and imposters sucking off public resources.
The pensioners are unimpressed.
They told the newspaper that they "had been verified in 2011 and 2013
respectively under excruciating conditions."

Advertisement
Let's be clear:
Imo State is not alone in owing workers and/or state employees arrears
that run into many months. In fact, unpaid salaries are one of the
gravest, if little discussed, scandals in Nigeria. And it's not only
governments that often treat salaries and other financial commitments
as if they were a favor to workers, rather than the rights of men and
women who have done work. The Nigerian private sector is also plagued
by unpaid entitlements.

Former Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju of my home state of Anambra, a
lawyer and journalist by training, gave a haughty dismissal of
pensioners who showed up at his office to protest their unpaid
pensions.
Declaring them dead wood, he reportedly told the pensioners that they
should have children abroad who should be taking care of them. My
mother, who put in more than thirty years of service as a committed
teacher, was one of those pensioners Mr. Mbadinuju told off.

At one point, she had not received a kobo in pension for 14 months!
The same governor's failure to pay state teachers led to a yearlong
strike. It's the kind of tragedy that's become commonplace in Nigeria.
Not only are workers dehumanized by public and private sector
employers who don't pay them; future of the youth is mortgaged when
they are subjected to malnourished existence and months of receiving
little, no or wretched education.

The argument is often made that too many Nigerian workers are indolent
and delinquent.
There's little argument there. And there are, indeed, too many
"ghosts" on payrolls, put in there by unscrupulous bureaucrats who
make a killing at the expense of the collectivity.
Imo State and other public sector employers deserve to find and erase
these ghosts.
For that matter, it is not unreasonable for the governor to insist
that certain state agencies raise the revenues to meet their recurrent
obligations.
Yet, allowing for the existence of "ghost" parasites and the argument
for significantly beefing up internally generated revenues, there is
no excuse—repeat, absolutely no excuse—for owing workers and
pensioners even for one month.
It is about time Nigeria criminalized this pervasive practice. A
government that shirks its responsibility to pay its workers or
pensioners has lost its salt, its legitimacy. In fact, a president,
governor, or local government chairperson who is unable to manage the
"minimal" task of paying salaries and pensions should be deemed worse
than a ghost leader. Such a person should immediately step down, and
make way for those who understand the elementary principle that
salaries and pensions are a statutory and moral obligation, and that
to deny people such a basic entitlement is to degrade them to the
level of lower animals.
When a governor doesn't pay his workers or retired workers, he might
as well be saying to them—as Mr. Mbadinuju might—"Go, eat sand!" Such
a governor should not be junketing to Turkey or any other address
governed by competent men and women who truly understand how to spell
the word "leader."


– Please follow me on Twitter @okeyndibe

Burkina Interim President Officially Restored To Power After Coup

Burkina Faso's interim leader Michel Kafando was officially restored
to power at a ceremony attended by regional heads of state on
Wednesday, a week after a coup by an elite army unit.

Kafando, who has led the landlocked west African country through its
transition since a popular uprising last year deposed the former
president, said "his main objective" now was to organise a general
election.

List Of Senators That Followed Saraki To Tribunal

Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu led 29 other senators to the
CCT in solidarity with the Senate President.
Senators at the CCT are:

1. Amori Ighoyota (Delta Central)

2. Bassey Albert Akpan (Akwa North East)

3. Abdulrahman Abubakar (Kogi East)

4. Tayo Alasoadura (Ondo Central)

5. Kabiru Gaya (Kano Central)

6. Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North)

7. Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto North)

8. Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara North)

9. Theodore Orji (Abia Central)

Others are Senators

10. Ben Murray-Bruce (Bayelsa East)

11. Emmanuel Paulker (Bayelsa Central)

12. Ogola Foster (Bayelsa West)

13. Mao Ohuabunwa (Abia North)

14. Gilbert Nnaji (Enugu East)

15. Rose Oko (Cross River North)

16. Sam Egwu (Ebonyi North)

17. Olaka Nwogu (Rivers South East)

18. Samuel Anyanwu (Imo East)

19. Sunny Ogbuoji (Ebonyi South)

20. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger East)

21. Isa Hamma Missau (Bauchi Central)

22. Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi Central)

23. Kaura Tijjani (Famfara North)

24. Clifford Ordia ( Edo Central)

25. Mohammed Ohiare (Kogi Central)

26. Rafui Ibrahim (Kwara South)

27. Gershom Henry Bassey (Cross River South) and

28. Ibrahim Dambaba (Sokoto South).

-Vanguard

INEC Brands Ihiala Most Challenging Council In Anambra

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has branded
Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State as the most challenging
council area in the State, where the commission fears to send its
officials during elections due to the activities of political thugs
and moneybags.

The State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Edwin Nwatarali,
who disclosed this while receiving the executive members of Ihiala
Grassroots Progressive Initiative in his office, stated that the type
of arms and ammunition being brandished by politicians in the council
area at every election was worrisome.

He said it took the intervention of armed soldiers to bring out the
officials of the commission from the council area during the 2015
polls.

His words: "Ihiala people need constant voter education from kindred
to associations/institutions, wards to local government level because
activities of political gladiators and interests at the council area
are quiet alarming.

They hardly play the game according to the rule.

"To most of them, election is either a do -or -die affair. Once it is
election time, you will see the moneybags and their thugs brandishing
all kinds of weapons to eliminate their political opponents. It is
terrible! It took God's grace to salvage our officials from them at
2015 polls."

The police and their weapons could not scare the thugs, who were armed
with modern sophisticated weapons. It was the quick intervention of
armed Nigerian soldiers that saved our officials from the daredevil.

"At every election, they will come to us pleading for help. When you
ask what kind of help they needed from you, they will quickly ask you
to name your price, vowing to pay in cash, cheques or appointment;
just for you to rig the election to their favour", he said.
Nwatarali stated that INEC needed well equipped collation centre due
to non-conducive accommodation and infrastructural decay at its
present office.

Earlier, the delegation from Ihiala Grassroot Progressive Initiative
called for partnership with INEC in resolving the challenges facing
the commission at every poll in the council area.

-TheSunNews

Gunmen Abduct Protus, The Sun Columnist’s Wife In Imo

Gunmen have abducted the wife of a university Don and social critic,
Prof Nath Protus Uzoma, from her residence in the World Bank area of
Owerri, Imo state capital.
It was gathered that Lolo Esther Uzoma was whisked away at about 10
pm last Sunday and her abductors were yet to make any demand or
contact members of her family as at press time.
Her husband, Uzoma who is also a columnist with The Sun Newspaper,
told our reporter that the armed men had stormed their residence on
Sunday night, asking for his whereabouts and his wife had told them
that he was not around. However, after ransacking the whole house,
they took her away at gunpoint.

His words: " Yesterday( Sunday) at about 10 pm, armed men stormed my
residence at the World Bank area of Owerri, the Imo capital, demanding
for my whereabouts from my wife and her explanation that I was not
around was not satisfactory to them. But when they searched the entire
house and did not find me, they abducted my wife at gunpoint. Ever
since, the abductors of my wife have not made any demand or contacted
any member of the family; and so, I don't know the whereabouts of my
wife.

"On August 20, 2014, eight armed men had also invaded my house but
the police were able to kill four of them, while the others escaped. I
am appealing to the kidnappers to please, return my wife because I
have no problem with anybody and as a social critic, my duty is to
always point out the ills in the society, which those in authority
should correct for the good of all and sundry."

He pointed out that prior to this time that he used to have police
security but that they were withdrawn because of the new police of the
new police Inspector General of Police and appealed to police
authority to restore his police security to secure the life of his
family.

However, Prof Uzoma commended the State Commissioner of Police, Mr.
Taiwo Lakanu, who he said, responded promptly after the matter was
reported, adding that operatives of the police command have been
working round the clock in search of his abducted wife.

-TheSunNews

85 Dead In Boko Haram’s Deadliest Attacks Since Buhari Took-over

Boko Haram carried out its deadliest attacks on the key northeast
Nigerian city of Maiduguri since President Muhammadu Buhari came to
power, killing scores in a series of coordinated bomb blasts.

Police in the Borno state capital said at least 54 people died in
Sunday's co-ordinated strikes, with 90 injured, but residents caught
up in the explosions said as many as 85 lost their lives.

The attacks on Sunday night in the Ajilari Cross area and nearby
Gomari, near the city's airport, killed and maimed worshippers at a
mosque, bystanders and football fans watching a televised match.

The army and rescuers said the explosions were caused by homemade
devices but one local and the police said a female suicide bomber also
blew herself up.

PHOTO: Victims of the multiple blasts blamed on Boko Haram, lie on
mattresses at the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, on September
21, 2015. Boko Haram carried out its deadliest attacks on the key
northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri since President Muhammadu Buhari
came to power, killing scores in a series of coordinated bomb blasts.
Locals in Maiduguri said at least 85 people were killed in a series of
bombings blamed on Boko Haram, disputing a lower figure of 54 given by
police. AFP PHOTO

Maiduguri, where Boko Haram was founded in 2002, has been the
epicentre of the six-year-old insurgency and repeatedly attacked since
Buhari assumed office.
Some 26 people were killed in a suicide attack on a Maiduguri mosque
on May 30, while another attack on a cattle market three days later
killed 13. The day after that strike, 18 were killed in a bomb blast.

Since his inauguration on May 29, at least 1,100 people have been
killed, with the majority of attacks in Borno, according to AFP
reporting.

– Co-ordinated strikes –

Nigeria's authorities have frequently downplayed the death toll from
attacks in the insurgency, which has claimed at least 17,000 lives and
forced more than two million from their homes since 2009.

"I can assure you that no fewer than 85 people died," said resident Sabo Ahmed.

"The figure given by the police is just the number of people taken to hospital.
"Many more died and were just taken away by their loved ones."
Ahmed said 15 more bodies had been pulled from the rubble of the
football match "viewing centre" and that four were his brothers aged
between 19 to 24.

Alhaji Jidda, a resident of the Binta Sugar neighbourhood, said more
than 35 people were killed at the mosque, which is thought to have
been hit by a female suicide bomber.

"Apart from the imam and a few people, all the rest died instantly at
the mosque because of the impact of the blast," he said.

"From the figures we gathered, more than 85 people died (in total)," he said.

A security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed:
"Yes, the dead should be higher than what was given to you but that
(54) is the official figure," he said.

– Desperation –

Army spokesman Sani Usman said on Sunday the blasts, which locals
believed could have been aimed to distract security forces to enable
an attack on the city, "signify (a) high level of desperation on the
part of the Boko Haram terrorists".

His boss, Chief of Army Staff Tukur Buratai, described the attacks as
"unfortunate" but said it indicated the group's methods.

"It's not a setback because it is giving us a lead to how we can
progress toward our success," he told reporters in Abuja on Monday.

The military has claimed the rebels were in disarray, having
apparently lost territory and seen their camps destroyed in recent
months.

But Boko Haram's shadowy leader Abubakar Shekau denied the group was a
spent force, describing the military claims as "lies" in an audio
recording published via social media on Saturday.

Apart from suicide and bomb attacks on markets, bus stations and
mosques, the insurgents have also carried out deadly cross-border
raids in neighbouring Chad, Cameroon and Niger.
All three countries have been assisting Nigeria in the
counter-insurgency since the turn of the year, in recognition of the
group's threat to regional security.

A new 8,700-strong regional force comprising all four countries plus
Benin is set to deploy against the jihadists.

Chelsea Doctor Eva Carneiro Quits After Feud With Mourinho

Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro has left the club, six weeks on from her
highly-publicised dispute with manager Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho had called the club's medical staff "impulsive and naive" for
entering the pitch late on in the opening day 2-2 draw with Swansea.

Carneiro and physio Jon Fearn treated Eden Hazard with minutes
remaining of the game, leaving the Blues temporarily down to 10 men.
Carneiro was subsequently removed from her position on the Chelsea
bench during matches and told to instead work with the players at the
Cobham training ground.

But the doctor is believed to have stayed away from the club since the
incident on August 8 and posted a message of thanks to well wishers on
Facebook two days after the game.

The Football Association are also reviewing complaints that Mourinho
used abusive or sexist language towards Carneiro.

Niger State Gov Under Fire Over Chelsea, Arsenal Match

PHOTO: NIGER State Governor Abubakar Sani


NIGER State Governor Abubakar Sani has come under criticism following
his trip to London to watch Saturday's Premier League game between
Chelsea and Arsenal.

Residents of the state on Monday described the governor's visit to
Stamford Bridge as "frivolous" considering the financial problems of
the state.

However, the governor explained on his Twitter page that he was at
Stamford Bridge to watch the match at the instance of Chelsea
midfielder Mikel Obi, who plans to set up a football academy in the
state.

"I was at Stamford Bridge to watch the derby between Chelsea and
Arsenal at the invitation of John Obi Mikel," he wrote.

According to him, Mikel approached the state government to partner
with the state in developing its sports, stressing that it will be
wrong to turn down an investor who is willing to invest in the state.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ibraheem Dooba, said Bello
was in Europe and his visit to Stamford Bridge was part of his
itinerary since he was to meet other international development
partners, adding that he was invited by Mikel.

But a trader, Moses Akwu said, "Things are hard for us in Niger while
our governor is travelling to watch matches. I heard they said he was
invited but is it not government resources that he used to go on the
trip?

"We did not vote him in to watch football, we voted him because we
want him to work and bring back the lost glory of the state. Watching
matches is not governance, it is absolute recklessness."

Another resident, Gambo Mohammed, said the governor needed to focus on
governance.

"Sports development is not what Niger State needs now. We need jobs
for our unemployed youths, boost for our economy and agriculture, and
good roads."

Bello had on August 31 warned sports officials not to use his name to
organise sports competitions. He made this known when board members of
the Nigeria Chess Federation and the state hockey team that won the
National Super League visited him.

The President of Nigeria Chess Federation Suleman Gora had requested
to organise a national championship in his honour which he objected
saying, "I am not a billboard."

-PUNCH

Nigeria’s Economy Could Slip Into Recession, CBN Warns

The Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria on
Tuesday warned that the country's economy could slip into recession by
next year if proactive steps were not taken by the Federal Government
to revive key sectors of the economy.
It also reduced the Cash Reserves Requirements for Banks from 31 per
cent to 25 per cent as well as retained the Monetary Policy Rate at 13
per cent.

The committee also retained the symmetric corridor of 200 basis points
around the MPR; and left the Liquidity Ratio unchanged at 30 per cent.

Addressing journalists shortly after the two-day meeting of the
committee held at the CBN headquarters in Abuja, the CBN Governor, Mr
Godwin Emefiele, noted that the economy had remained fragile owing to
various factors.

For instance, he said the country's Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate
recorded a slow growth in the second quarter of this year, making it
the second consecutive less-than-expected performance for the current
fiscal year.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, real GDP grew by 2.35
per cent in the second quarter of 2015, a significant decrease when
compared with the 3.96 per cent and 6.54 per cent in the preceding
quarter and corresponding period of 2014, respectively.

Real GDP growth is projected by the NBS to stabilise at 2.63 per cent
in 2015, compared with the 6.22 per cent recorded in 2014.

The committee, according to the governor, however, noted that the
impact of non-payment of salaries at the state and local government
levels had led to reduction on consumer demand.

He said while year-on-year headline inflation continued to trend
upwards, demand pressure in the foreign exchange market remained
significant as oil prices continued to decline.

As a result of these developments, Emefiele said there were
indications that some of the banking sector performance indicators
could be stressed if these conditions worsen further.

Specifically, he expressed worry that liquidity withdrawals following
the implementation of the Treasury Single Account, elongation of the
tenure of state governments loans as well as loans to the oil and gas
sectors could aggravate liquidity conditions in banks and impair their
financial intermediation role.

These, he noted, could affect economic growth, unless some actions
were immediately taken to ease liquidity conditions in the markets.

He said, "The committee noted that the overall macroeconomic
environment remained fragile.
"The committee noted that liquidity withdrawals following the
implementation of the TSA, elongation of the tenure of state
government loans as well as loans to the oil and gas sectors could
aggravate liquidity conditions in banks and impair their financial
intermediation role, thus affecting economic growth, unless some
actions were immediately taken to ease liquidity conditions in the
markets.

"Having seen two consecutive quarters of slow growth, the committee
recognized that the economy could slip into recession in 2016 if
proactive steps were not taken to revive growth in key sectors of the
economy."

-PUNCH

We Are Solidly Behind Saraki - Nigerian Senators

The Nigerian Senate has issued a statement declaring it's unflinching
support for Senate President, Bukola Saraki.



The statement was signed by Sen. Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba on behalf
of the Eighth Senate.

See statement below:

After majority of us, Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
witnessed the appearance of our President, Senator Abubakar Bukola
Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal this morning, we are happy that
he appeared at the Tribunal after availing himself of the opportunity
to defend his Fundamental Human Rights. We also want to state here, on
behalf of our colleagues, that the Senate remains solidly behind
Senator Saraki and we express our unalloyed support for his
leadership.

We reiterate the fact that he is our choice for the post of Senate
President and no politically motivated, mischievous and vindictive
trial will change our opinion of him.

By his appearance at the Tribunal, he has demonstrated his firm belief
in the rule of law and his respect for our judicial process. We join
Dr. Saraki in affirming our commitment to rule of law,
constitutionalism and democracy. We only hope the other arms of
government will ensure that due processes and procedures are followed
in this trial and on all other issues.

The Eighth Senate restates its commitment to the programmes and
policies of the Buhari administration. It is our belief that at the
end of this trial, our democracy, Nigerians and the people will end up
as the beneficiaries. May God bless our country, Nigeria.

-

Okonjo-Iweala Gets Two Key International Positions

Former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy,
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has accepted two key international positions.

The first is to serve as Chair of the 28-member Board of the Global
Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), an international
public-private partnership committed to saving the lives of children
and protecting people's health by improving access to immunization in
developing countries, including Nigeria.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala was elected to the position after a competitive
international search process.

In the second appointment, the former Managing Director of the World
Bank has also joined the highly respected 167-year-old global
investment firm, Lazard as Senior Advisor.

Her focus will be sovereign advisory.

"We are proud to welcome Dr. Okonjo-Iweala as a Senior Advisor to our
world-leading sovereign advisory group," said Matthieu Pigasse, Global
Head of M&A and Sovereign Advisory of Lazard.

"She will bring a unique international expertise and experience that
will benefit both our sovereign and corporate clients."

At Lazard, Dr Okonjo-Iweala will work alongside colleagues including
former Prime Minister of Australia, Paul Keating; former Special
adviser to President Bill Clinton, Vernon Jordan; former Spanish
Economy Minister and current Snr. Managing Director at Lazard, Rodrigo
de Rato; former chair of NASDAQ, Frank Zarb; former Finance Minister
of Chile, Andres Velasco; and former British Minister of
Parliament/Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew
Mitchell.

In her reaction to the two appointments, Dr Okonjo-Iweala, who would
be working out of Paris, Geneva and London said,"I am excited to be
embarking on this fresh journey. The two appointments will enable me
to continue doing what I know best; rendering public service and using
my financial and economist skills.

"I thank the international community for the recognition and continued
support. I am also grateful for the prayers and support of many
Nigerians."

GAVI is a $12 billion multilateral partnership which disburses grants
of upwards of $1.8 billion annually to developing countries for
immunization programmes.

GAVI brings together developing countries and donor governments, the
World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine
industry in both industrialized and developing countries, research and
technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
and other private philanthropists.

GAVI is funded by governments of Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark,
France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, the People's Republic of
China, Republic of Korea, Russia, South Africa, Spain, the State of
Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United
States as well as the European Commission, the OPEC Fund for
International Development (OFID) and other institutional and corporate
partners.

It would be recalled that, from 2000-2015, GAVI disbursed $425m in
grants to Nigeria, an average of about $30m per annum for vaccination
and immunization of children, including polio vaccines.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala succeeds Dagfinn Høybråten, a former Norwegian
Minister of Health and current Secretary General of the Nordic Council
of Ministers as Chair of GAVI.

Previous Chairs include Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and
respected education activist and former First Lady of South Africa,
Graca Machel.

Former SGF Olu Falae Kidnapped In Ondo

There are reports that a former Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, Chief Olu Falae, has been kidnapped from his farm in Ondo
State.

The wife of Chief Falae, Mrs Falae confirmed the incident in ‎a
telephone interview but said she was not in the mood to grant an
interview on the matter.

The Public Relations Officer of Ondo State Police Command, DSP 'Wole
Ogodo, who also confirmed the incident to our correspondent said that
the elder statesman was attacked on his way to his farm in Ilu-Abo, a
village near Akure on Monday afternoon‎ but was not sure if he was
abducted.

He, however, said that his men have been drafted to the area.

The Police PRO later confirmed that the abductors, suspected to be
Fulani herdsmen, have demanded for a cash sum of 100 Million Naira as
ransom for the septuagenarian to be released.

When Channels Television got to his house in Akure, the gate was locked‎.

Two chieftains of the Social Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, who
spoke with newsmen at the entrance of his residence, equally confirmed
the abduction.

-ChannelsTV

I Will Be At The Tribunal Tomorrow, Tuesday – Bukola Saraki

The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has said that he
would appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Tuesday, September
22, 2015.

This is according to a statement on his social media accounts.


The statement posted on his Facebook account reads, "While the Senate
President Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, had stated and maintained that
he is ready to submit himself to due process of the law on any issue
concerning him, he also believes that he has an inalienable right to
resort to the same judiciary for protection when he feels his
fundamental rights are about to be infringed upon.

"The Senate President is a law abiding citizen and his absence from
tribunal was based on legal advice he received from his counsel that
it is not necessary for him to appear before the tribunal at this
stage since the jurisdiction of the tribunal and the process of
initiating the matter are being challenged before the Federal High
Court, Abuja.

"Following the adjournment for the determination of the motion on
notice and the substantive suit before the Federal High Court to 30th
of September and the appeal pending before the Court of Appeal
adjourned to the 29th of September 2015, the Senate President has
decided, as a law abiding citizen, to appear before the Tribunal in
the interim.

"Dr. Saraki has taken the decision to attend the Tribunal sitting to
demonstrate his respect for the rule of law in spite of his personal
reservation on the process of his trial and the purpose it may be
intended to serve.

"Dr. Saraki wishes to assure Nigerians of his absolute belief in the
judicial process and is therefore confident that the course of justice
would be served at the end of this matter."

-ChannelsTV

Zahra Buhari Reveals She Lost A Sister To Sickle Cell

On September the 18th, Zahra Buhari, daughter of President Muhammadu
Buhari, signed on to be the brand ambassador of the Sickle Cell Aid
Foundation (SCAF).

Scaf Nigeria, is a non governmental organisation that deals with
issues bothering on Sickle Cell.

Zahra, during the unveiling, spoke on how she lost a sister to sickle
cell three years ago.

Zahra said:

"I was impressed with the amount of work SCAF has been doing with so
little resources. I also lost a sister three years back due to sickle
cell anaemia, so I know what it feels like losing a loved one.
Becoming an Ambassador of SCAF is a way to show my support to those
suffering from sickle cell anaemia. "

-GistReel

Nigeria Might Still Break Up Under Buhari

American and Western European experts predicted that Nigeria will
disintegrate in 2015. With the political desperation and frenzy that
marked the political campaigns of the 2015 presidential election, many
thought that Nigeria was at the point of the predicted 2015
disintegration. Surprisingly, the election took place without the much
anticipated violence. And following the election, the incumbent
president, Goodluck Jonathan, conceded defeat to the victorious
opposition presidential candidate, Mohammudu Buhari. This forestalled
the anticipated violence and predicted breakup. Refreshingly, the
doomsayers were proved wrong.

Disturbingly, Nigeria is still not completely out of the woods; as it
may still break up. The possibility of conflict and dissolution of the
country continue to loom because Buhari is stoking trouble. He is
actively stirring up issues that can lead to serious national
conflicts. Nigeria is a very complex country, and its governance is
complicated by tribal, religious and sectional rivalries. In my
viewpoint, Buhari is insensitive to this complexity and lacks the
finesse and dexterity needed to govern Nigeria. With a military
background and orientation, and a total lack of a liberal education,
he is ill-equipped to preside over a democratic Nigeria. He has no
refinement, and as such, only understands the language of force. He
also does not understand the world order. Recall that he once referred
to Germany as Western Germany and Chancellor Angela Merkel as
President Michelle. Those were just tip of the iceberg.

There is no doubt that corruption is killing Nigeria, and that
something needs to be done urgently to deal with it. But you do not
pull the entire house down simply to kill the rats in the ceiling. It
demands that you methodically take out the rats one by one, so that,
after the rats are gone, you still have a house to live in. He needs
to respect the equality of all Nigerians under the law. His 95 per
cent formula is naive and counterproductive. A successful war on
corruption is not necessarily a function of the number of people
jailed. The emphasis should not be just on sending people to jail for
corruption, but also, in deterring acts of corruption. In his fight
against corruption, Buhari refuses to understand that Nigeria is a
representative democracy, and not a military dictatorship or a
neo-military dictatorship.

A democracy is guided by the rule of law and not the impulsiveness and
arbitrariness of a retired army general. The legal process is usually
slow and painstaking. Buhari is impetuous; he does not have the
patience and tolerance for the measured pace of the law. He wants, at
his whims and caprices, to jail southern politicians and his enemies
of northern extraction such as Col. Sambo Dasuki for corruption. He
wants to rearrange the judiciary, and reconstruct and expand Kirikiri
Prison. He will then fill the prison with his political enemies, as
all those he fingered for corruption will automatically be arrested by
the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and jailed for one
hundred years or more by a compliant judiciary, dominated by northern
judges.

Is Buhari's hypocrisy not conspicuously obvious? To tackle corruption,
he must first purge himself of his excess baggage. He must approach
equity with clean hands. How on earth can he fight corruption when the
likes of Tinubu, Okorocha and former governor, Amaechi are his
political allies? Please explain it to me! Amaechi is the man that
funded Buhari's campaign with the money he stole from the coffers of
the government of Rivers State. Buhari, of course, knew that the funds
were stolen and laundered by the former governor. At the time he was
splurging stolen money on the Buhari Presidential Campaign, he was a
sitting governor. He was not a multibillionaire in the mold of
Dangote. So, the source of the money was obvious to Buhari.

It is understandable that a president appoints people that he is
comfortable with to work with him. But to appoint only his friends and
relatives to pivotal positions as the Director Generals of the
Directorate of State Security (DSS), Customs and Immigrations and the
Chairman of the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) is
nepotism. Nepotism is corruption. And he insulted the sensibilities of
Nigerians by justifying the appointments on the grounds that the
appointees are loyal to him as friends and relatives. It is wrong for
him to give the impression that only his friends, relatives and others
from the northern part of Nigeria are competent, and committed to his
vision. In addition, his punishing of those regions of the country
that did not vote for him in the presidential election is grossly
unfair. It is not only setting a dangerous precedent but inflames
ethnic fury.

My honest advice to Buhari is to first of all stabilize the economy
and embark on institutional reforms that will strengthen the judiciary
and the legislature before delving into other major divisive issues.
However, he is neither reforming nor strengthening our national
institutions. Actually, he is weakening them; he meddles in the
judiciary and remote-controls the Senate and the House; thus,
undermining the separation of powers. This is posing a serious problem
for Nigerian democracy because these branches of government need to
operate independently.

What we are experiencing today is a military regime masquerading as a
democracy. Buhari's hounding of his political enemies with
Gestapo-styled DSS raids on state government houses, private homes,
etc attests to this reality. The lopsidedness of his administration's
actions is causing some silent but powerful and dangerous ripple.
Nigeria is boiling. I see 1966 coming full cycle. And if this
continues, Nigeria will break up.

Lloyd Ukwu, an international lawyer writes from Washington, D.C. USA.

-PointBlank

Saraki Removes APC Logo From His Verified Twitter Account

Nigerian users on Twitter, on Saturday, expressed surprise at the
removal of the All Progressives Congress' name from the official
profile page of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

According to some users, the Senate President's verified Twitter
biography previously read, in part, "Member of the APC."
However, when our correspondent visited the page, it simply read,
"Senate President and Chairman of the 8th National Assembly. Committed
to Transparency and Accountability."

One user, Am Human No Labels, said, "Sir, are you no longer a member
of the ruling party? I can't find APC on your bio anymore."

In the same vein, @olufemisp wrote, "I knew it was when @bukolasaraki
deleted the "APC" that proudly adorned his bio. This Saraki war will
consume the party."

Another user, AS Aruwa, said, "I just noticed that @bukolasaraki has
deleted 'Member of the APC' from his bio. Someone is about to decamp?"

Maryam Abubakar also asked, "Now that the 'APC' on Bukola Saraki's
Twitter bio is gone, what should we expect?"

"Why is the APC on your bio gone sir?" @RichieDectector asked, while
Ayokunle Odekunle wrote, "@BukolaSaraki removes the 'APC' from his
bio. It gets more interesting."

Afolabi Ajiboro also said, "@ogundamisi have you noticed that
@bukolasaraki has removed APC from his bio on Twitter? Minutes later
the PDP released statement defending him."

The Senate President did not respond to the controversy on Twitter.

However, the Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media, Mr.
Yusuph Olaniyonu, said, "It is not a new development. The party logo
was there during the elections and we took it off after the elections
about a month ago."

Meanwhile, the Force Headquarters on Saturday said it was still
waiting for the bench warrant issued by the Code of Conduct Tribunal
for the arrest of the Senate President.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Olabisi Kolawole, said the police
had yet to get the court order as of Saturday when our correspondent
inquired about the delay in the execution of the arrest warrant.

Kolawole explained that the police cannot arrest Saraki without the court order.

"We have not received the bench warrant till now (Saturday) and until
we get the court order, we cannot execute it," she said over the
phone.

Justice Danladi Umar of the Code of Conduct Tribunal had on Friday in
Abuja ordered a bench warrant against Saraki for failing to appear
before the court to answer charges over alleged false declaration of
assets.

The judge specifically ordered the Inspector General of Police, Mr.
Solomon Arase, or other security agencies to arrest Saraki and produce
him in court on Monday to take plea in the 13-count charge slammed on
him by the Federal Government.

But Saraki's lead counsel and former President of the Nigerian Bar
Association, Mr. Joseph Daudu, said he had filed an appeal asking the
court to set aside the ruling dated September 18, 2015.

Daudu said the trial judge erred in law and "acted without
jurisdiction by countenancing and assuming jurisdiction over the
criminal trial/prosecution of the accused/appellant at the Code of
Conduct Tribunal for a charge, which is being challenged at the FHC,
Abuja in suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/775/2015 between Dr. Olubukola Abubakar
Saraki vs Ministry of Justice and three others and in disobedience of
the order of the FHC, Abuja Division dated September 17, 2015."

He averred that it was not necessary for his client to be present in
court since the accused had filed an application challenging the
jurisdiction of the tribunal to adjudicate on the charge brought
before it.

The Federal Government had on September 11 filed a 13-count charge
against Saraki before the CCT and the case was fixed for Friday for
his arraignment, but the accused failed to appear in court.

According to the suit filed at the CCT, allegations against Saraki
include failure to declare property on Plot 2A, Glover Road, Ikoyi,
Lagos; failure to declare property on No 1, Tagus Street, Maitama,
Abuja.

Imo Govt Set To Borrow N20b On Top Of Bailout Fund

A whopping N80,000,000, 000, (eighty billion naira) bill will be
hanging on the neck of Imo citizens for the next 20 years, if a new
N20b (Twenty billion naira) loan on top of the bail out fund being
sought by the State Government gets a final approval, and it seems it
is going to.

Governor Rochas Okorocha has received a federal nod to borrow the said
amount, which has a monthly repayment of N402,957,780.91, to finance
old projects and develop new ones.
Imo State is currently indebted to the tune of N60b (Sixty Billion
naira), comprising N34b (Thirty four billion naira) and N26b (Twenty
six billion naira), as revealed in the Federal Government bailout
programme, which is repayable in 20 years.

A 'No Objection,' letter addressed to Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha
by the Federal Ministry of Finance said the N20b being sought would be
repaid in seven years and subject to the state meeting other
requirements of the Investment and Securities Act 2007. (Read full
text on Page 3)

If this new loan sails through, the implication is that Imo State will
repay N80 billion in 20 years, about N334 million per month, plus nine
per cent interest.

This will be the case if the loan is spread out but the commitment the
Government is about to make on the new N20b is to pay approximately
N403 million monthly for the next seven years, which is, of course,
beyond the lifespan of the present administration.

"The new move by Imo to borrow N20b from the capital market by way of
84 months bond is the height of financial rascality and determined
intention to further mortgage Imo children unborn in the next 20
years. With monthly repayment of N402,957,780,91 as shown in the
letter from the Federal Ministry of Finance, it means Imo will be
using a total of this amount to service this particular debt monthly,"
said a financial analyst who wants anonymity.

While giving 'no objection' to the loan request, the letter from the
ministry of finance called for financial prudence and drew the
attention of the Imo-Government to the economic difficulties facing
the nation.

"I would like to use this opportunity to draw the attention of Your
Excellency to the fact that based on the fall in oil prices and the
consequent decline of revenues for governments at all levels in the
country, there is an urgent need to exercise greater restraint with
respect to borrowing to avoid future debt unsustainability.

-NigeriaBulletin

Pasuma Reacts After Redeemed Church Sacks Pastor For Inviting Him To Perform In Church

Fuji star, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma has reacted to the suspension of a
Redeemed Church Pastor, Toyin Ogundipe who was said to have paid him
to perform at a crusade slated to hold in one of the parishes in Lagos
Island. The Fuji star declared that, although, the church's management
paid for the show, it is never done to expect him to pay back the
"artiste fee" saying, "the fault is not ours, we were ready to perform
for them until we learnt of the cancelation of the crusade".

City People reports that,the Pastor in charge of Province 20 of the
Redeemed Church had invited Pasuma to perform at the Church's
forthcoming crusade titled, "Lagos Island Family Areas Forum" between
Friday, October 23rd- Sunday 25th, 2015.
Pasuma's picture appeared on the handbill advert and posters alongside
gospel singer, Tope Alabi and a former band leader of the late Fela
Anikulapo's Egypt 80 band, Kereke Jike.

The decision to stop the programme was because the church headquarters
felt the Pastor had gone too far by inviting a secular artiste such as
Pasuma to its church programme.

A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the organisers did
not do a detailed consultation before going ahead with the programme.

He also said that it was as a result of it that the programme was
cancelled and the Pastor in charge of the church along with the
organising committee suspended as they now await further sanction
from the provisional headquarters for dragging the name of the church
in the mud.

Investigations by City People reveal that The Redeemed Christian
Church of God clearly frowns at the use of secular musicians, a
development which has been clearly stated in its handbook to Pastors.

-NigeriaBulletin

Buhari Is A Liar And Has Deceived You -- Abubakar Shekau

Nigeria's military on Saturday claimed further gains in its
counter-offensive against Boko Haram, but the group's shadowy leader
Abubakar Shekau dismissed the talk of success as "lies".

Army spokesman Sani Usman said troops destroyed more rebel enclaves
and camps in the restive state of Borno, which has been worst hit by
the six-year Islamist insurgency.

"The fight against the terrorists in the northeast is gaining
successful momentum, with most of the camps falling to the Federal
might," he said in a statement.

A total of 62 people were rescued from around the town of Gwoza, which
last year Boko Haram declared the headquarters of its caliphate but
which it lost control of in March.

Some 77 men, women and children, most of them "haggard, dejected and
obviously malnourished", also arrived in the town of Bama on Saturday,
Usman said.

One man picked up said he had his right hand cut off by militants in
their Sambisa Forest stronghold in Borno last year, he said, adding
that eight Boko Haram suspects surrendered to troops.

Nigeria's military has claimed a series of successes against Boko
Haram recently and on Friday said it had rescued 90 people and
dislodged Boko Haram from two villages near Gwoza.

President Muhammadu Buhari in early August gave his new military
commanders three months to defeat Boko Haram, after six years of
violence, at least 15,000 dead and more than two million homeless.

– Audio message –

Shekau has not been seen on video since February and until an audio
message last month had not spoken since March, when he proclaimed Boko
Haram's allegiance to the so-called Islamic State group.

His absence sparked fresh rumours about whether he was still alive or
had been deposed as leader, with other videos this year fronted by an
unknown rebel under the name Islamic State in West Africa Province
(ISWAP).

Shekau said in a 25-minute recording in Hausa and Arabic via social media:

"They (the military) lied that they have confiscated our arms, that we
have been chased out of our territories, that we are in disarray.

"We are alive, I am alive, this is my voice, more audible than it was
before. This is Shekau."

He added: "Buhari is a liar and has deceived you. The army spokesman
is also lying. He and his footsoldiers always run helter-skelter
whenever we come face to face with them…
"Buhari, you once claimed that you will crush us in three months. How
can you crush us?"
Shekau directly refers to IS group leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, to
whom he says he is "loyal and subservient".
He also namechecks IS spokesman Abu-Mohammed al-Adnani and sends
"greetings to the faithful in Yemen", where there is also an IS
"affiliate".
There was no indication of where or when the recording was made but it
appears to have have been in recent days.
Shekau talks of Buhari's "deal with Hollande", referring to the
Nigerian president's three-day visit to Paris earlier this week, which
included talks with his French counterpart Francois Hollande.
He also dismissed as untrue Buhari's comments about "our brethren in prison".
Buhari this week said the Nigerian authorities were talking to Boko
Haram prisoners in their custody and could offer them amnesty if the
group hands over more than 200 schoolgirls abducted last year.

-Vanguard

Hannah Awolowo Dies At 99

Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, the wife of one of the most celebrated
politicians Nigeria has ever had, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, has died at
the old aged of 99 years.

Her newspaper, the Nigerian Tribune reported.

The chairperson of the African Newspapers of Nigeria, died 28 years
after her husband, Obafemi Awolowo passed on.