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.