Former President Jonathan's Son Hale And Hearty

Ariwera, a teenage son of former President Goodluck Jonathan, is hale and hearty, contrary to rumors of his passing, sources close to the former Nigeria leader said.

Several aides of the former President told SaharaReporters on Tuesday that his rumored death came as a surprise to them, as the boy is not even sick.

Social media outlets were buzzing with the rumor all of Tuesday. SaharaReporters had reported that the former President was vacationing in Los Angeles.

Saharareporters learned that he plans to return to Nigeria later tonight via Germany, flying Lufthansa into Port Harcourt tomorrow.

It is not clear if this return was planned, or is due to the revelation by our publication of his whereabouts. Earlier in the day, in a stunning announcement, President Buhari disclosed that western countries have signed up to help Nigeria recover its assets that were voraciously looted Mr. Jonathan.

--Sahara Reporters

FG And States Shared N409.354bn Yesterday

The three tiers of government, yesterday, shared a total sum of N 409.354 billion for the month of May.
This is made up of N324.061billion from statutory allocation, N56.04 billion from Value Added Tax, VAT, N6.330 billion as refund by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to Federal Government, as well as the N31.240 billion exchange gain.

The amount represents N30.113 billion increase from the N388.339 billion shared in the month of April
A break-down of the distributions showed that the Federal Government got N151.805 billion from statutory allocation, which represents 52.68 per cent, while states and local governments received N76.998 billion and N59.362 billion respectively, representing 26.72 per cent and 20.60 per cent.

On Value Added Tax, VAT, the Federal Government received N182 billion, the states and local governments got N27.274 billion and N19.092 respectively.

On the other hand, the oil producing states shared N29.071 billion as the 13 per cent derivation against 23.109 billion shared in the previous month.
Briefing journalists at the end of the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC, meeting, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Anastasia Nwaobia disclosed that the gross revenue of N324.061 billion received for the month was higher than the N282.062 billion received in April by N41.999 billion, due to the improvement from the refund to Federal and the exchange gain added to the revenue.

Nwaobia said Federal Government has taken steps to block all the identified leakages in the system and hoped that the source of revenue to government will continue to improve in coming months.

Under the excess crude account, ECA, she explained that the reserve stood at 2.78 billion dollars as at yesterday, from which they had the refund of N6.360 billion.

Commenting on the $1.18 billion dollar missing from the NNPC forensic audit report, she said the “matter is being considered and when decision is taken, information will be made public on it.”
On why they could not hold FAAC meeting, last week, the permanent secretary said the meeting could not hold due to some reasons, some of which was that the minister and commissioners were no longer there and that the Accountant General of the Federation exited office on June.

On the issue of Federal Government owing salaries, she dismissed the claim, saying that there was no agency nor ministry owed by Federal Government and expressed hope that states owing salaries would pay their workers accordingly after this FAAC meeting.

--Vanguard

Gunmen Kill Lord's Chosen Pastor In Lagos

Some armed robbery suspects, on Monday, have shot dead the Lagos State Pastor (Co-ordinator) of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement (TLCCRM), Mr. Chukwuemeka Okpokpo.

Daily   Times  gathered the two man armed robbery suspects on Okada allegedly trailed the late pastor from a bank in Amuwo Odofin area of FESTAC, very close to the Apple Junction and shot him dead.

A police source said the pastor, popularly known in the church parlance as “Lagos Co-ordinator”, was coming out from a commercial bank when the gunmen on Okada trailed him up to a certain point before killing him.

The senior police officer said the police would not narrow down its investigation on armed robbery alone, because of the manner the robbery suspects killed Okpokpo had fuelled suspicion of assassination.

He added that the best option was for the police to apply both theory of assassination and armed robbery.

When the Daily Times reporter visited the headquarter of the Church, at Ijesha, many people who had already heard the news wore gloomy faces, while others discussed the issue in a low tone.

An attempt by our reporter to speak with the Director of Press of the church Mr. Chidi Louis proved abortive as his were ringing without response. A staff of the office known as Timothy told the curious reporters who converged on the church that his boss was not around.

--DailyTimes

Okorocha Vs 40 Monarchs: Court Fixes July 8 For Hearing

An Owerri High Court, presided over by Justice Ngozi Ukoha, on Tuesday, fixed July 8, 2015, for hearing, in a suit filed by 40 traditional rulers, against the Governor Rochas Okorocha, Chairman, Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Samuel Ohiri and eight others.

The aggrieved 40 monarchs – including four already suspended by the state government in a suit no. HOW/313/2015 – approached the court to restrain Governor Okorocha, Eze Samuel Ohiri and their agents from withdrawing their certificate of recognition, staff of office or stoppage of their monthly salaries.

While ruling on the ex-parte application filed by the counsel to the plaintiffs, Mr. Ikechukwu Udeozor, Justice Ukoha ordered that the defendants should respect the pendency of the suit, because of sensitive nature of the matter.

She, therefore, granted the ex-parte application that service of summons to be pasted at the gates of the headquarters of the State Council of Traditional Rulers near Concorde Hotel, Owerri.

Those expected to be served with the substituted service include the 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th defendants, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Chairman of the Council, Eze Samuel Ohiri, Eze Edwin Orisakwe, Eze J.C. Okwara, Eze G. Ejiogu and Eze Ben. Igwilo.

The counsel to the monarchs, Mr. Udeozor had earlier pleaded with the court to grant the ex-parte application for substituted service from the originating summons together with interlocutory motion.

He prayed to the court that the service be pasted at the gates of the headquarters of the council of traditional rulers, since some of the defendants had been invading service. The counsel from the office of the State Attorney-General, Mr. Adindu did not oppose the application.

It would be recalled that the State Chairman of Traditional Ruler, Eze Ohiri had earlier suspended four royal fathers including Eze Emmanuel Njemanze of Owerre Ancient Kingdom, Eze Desmond Ogugua, Eze Edward Njoku and Eze Sunday Okoro, while over 60 monarchs have been pencilled down to face disciplinary panel for receiving former President Goodluck Jonathan in Owerri in March.

--

Crisis Brews In Imo APC

There are strong indications that the festering crises in the All Progressive Congress (APC)in Ngor Okpala LGA in Imo State deepening as a meeting summoned by the Imo State Chairman of the APC, Chief Hilary Eke, to settle the squabble raging among senior members of the party has ended in a stalemate.
The meeting which held in the state party office at IMSU round about, Works Layout, Owerri was attended by the LGA officers including the party elders from the LGA.
Sources say the bone of contention is the position of APC chairmanship in Ngor Okpala LGA, presently occupied by Hon Okey Azuonwu.
A faction of the party led by two former Commissioners, namely, Dr TOE Ekechi, and Barr Ogbonna Amadi allegedly want Hon Azuonwu removed as the LGA chairman, while the Elders led by Hon Greg Egu, Chief Val Okere wants Hon Okey Azuonwu to remain in office and complete his tenure.
It was also learnt that the TOE Ekechi group had petitioned the state executive council, led by Dr Hilary Eke, to replace Azuonwu over what they termed Azuonwu’s anti party activities during the last general elections.

--NewswatchTimrs

James Horner, Oscar-Winning Titanic Composer Dies In Plane Crash

James Horner, the Hollywood composer who wrote the Oscar-winning score for Titanic, has died in a California plane crash aged 61. A trained pilot, he is reported to have been alone aboard a small private plane which crashed north of Santa Barbara on Monday morning. BBC reports:

The musician worked on three James Cameron films, as well as A Beautiful Mind, Braveheart, Troy and Apollo 13. He won one Oscar for the Titanic film score and another for its theme song. The musician shared his second Oscar with lyricist, Will Jennings for best original song, the hugely successful My Heart Will Go On, sung by Celine Dion.  Dion released a statement saying she was “deeply saddened” by the composer’s “tragic death”.

“He will always remain a great composer in our hearts. James played an important part in my career. We will miss him. We offer his family and friends our deepest sympathy.” Horner was nominated for a further eight Oscars, for scores and songs for the films Avatar, House of Sand and Fog, A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, Braveheart, Field of Dreams, An American Tail and Aliens.

He was also the composer for the two highest-grossing films of all time, Titanic ($1.76bn) and Avatar ($1.3bn) and is listed on the Internet Movie Database as having 95 soundtrack credits and 158 composer credits.

“My job is to make sure at every turn of the film it’s something the audience can feel with their heart,” Horner said in a 2009 interview with the Los Angeles Times. “When we lose a character, when somebody wins, when somebody loses, when someone disappears – at all times I’m keeping track, constantly, of what the heart is supposed to be feeling. That is my primary role.”

Shocking Reason Why Ebonyi Man Married His Dead Wife

Onyema Orji from Ebonyi state was forced to ‘officially’ marry his dead wife, Blessing so that he could take custody of his children.

New Telegraph reports that Orji had divorced Blessing on the ground that her mother was interfering with their marriage. Moreover, the woman even forced her daughter to marry another man.

The marriage between Blessing and Orji produced children including twins. After a brief illness, the woman died and failed to give birth to any child in her second marriage.

After her death, Orji reportedly visited the family of the deceased intending to take home his children.

However, he was told by her family that if he wanted to claim the children, he had to perform the traditional marriage rites on the late Blessing. The member of the family insisted on the ceremony since Orji had not performed the rites when they were married.

Desperate man had no choice but to agree with the conditions so that he could take his children home.

It was gathered that later Orji performed the traditional marriage rite on his ex-wife who was lying motionless inside casket awaiting the burial. He again wedded Blessing and subsequently was allowed to take care of his own children.

Here’s What Your Eyes Tell About Your Health

Did you know that your eyes can tell a lot about your health? They can indicate such eye diseases as glaucoma and cataracts and alert you about diabetes, cardiovascular disease, liver disease and many more ailments.

Here is a list few symptoms and what they might mean:

1. Redness of the eye and sensitivity to light

This could probably mean an inflammation in the middle part of your eye. Possible reasons: allergy, eye fatigue, over-wearing contact lenses, computer vision syndrome, common eye infections such as pink eye (conjunctivitis), uveitis, glaucoma, cold and flu, smoking, environment and workplace hazards, lack of sleep, etc.

2. Dry eyes

There are plenty of things that can make your eyes feel dry: not blinking enough, allergies, certain medications, extremely dry air, dust and smoke. Dry eye syndrome occurs when your tear glands produce either an insufficient quantity or quality of tears to properly lubricate and nourish your eyes.

3. Watery eyes

Common causes of watery eyes include: eyelid inflammation, blocked tear duct, allergy, dry eye symptom, common cold, hay fever, ingrown eyelash, conjunctivitis, trachoma, eye injury, chronic sinusitis, conprivate part or early-onset glaucoma in infants.

4. Blurry Vision

Blurry vision has many causes, from fatigue and eyestrain to serious eye diseases such as glaucoma.

5. Unequal pupil size

Causes include glaucoma, head or eye trauma, an intracranial tumor, infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and previous intraocular surgery. A small percent of the population has unequal-sized pupils naturally (without any known cause).

6. Eye twitching and eyelid twitches

Eye twitching, eyelid tics and spasms are pretty common. Most eye twitches come and go, although they can last for weeks or even months. The rippling muscle contractions in an eyelid can be triggered by: stress, tiredness, eye strain, caffeine, alcohol, dry eyes, nutritional imbalance, allergies.
If you have any of these symptoms you should visit an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) to check your vision. Remember, eyes are the window to your soul and you should care about them.

--Information Nigeria

No Bailout For State Governors Owing Salaries

The meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the 36 state governors on how to offset over 100 billion Naira salaries of Nigerian workers ended without an offer of a bailout plan by the Federal Government to the States.

At the end of the meeting held on Tuesday, the Governors were only able to reach an agreement that the Federal Government should pay debts it owed the states over jobs they executed.

Zamfara State Governor and chairman of the Governors Forum, Abdullaziz Yari, who briefed reporters after the meeting, said that instead of a bailout, the state governments were told to look inwards and generate needed funds to clear their debts.

Poor Management Of The Economy

The State Governors also requested that the Nigerian Liquefied Gas Company’s tax should be paid into the Federation Account and be shared.

They also asked the Federal Government to ensure that monies accruing from the Federation Account should be shared, as stipulated by the constitution.

It is the first time the President will be meeting with the Governors to find a solution to the financial crisis that has made no fewer than 22 of the states owe salaries to their workers to the tune of 100 billion Naira (about $5,000,000).

The Nigerian Governors, whose lot has always been to come to Abuja to share in the Federation Account, through their chairman said they were pleased to meet with the President but that it was beyond a bailout as reported.

After a meeting of the All Progressives Congress Governors Forum last week, the chairman of the forum, Governor Rochas Okorocha, called for a bailout for states which have been unable to pay workers’ salaries.

He said that the current situation was a product of poor management of the economy.

“On the economy of the nation, we are concerned and worried by the dwindling revenue of the states which today has affected negatively, the lives of our people.

“The matter has become so serious that urgent action must be taken for a bailout for the states, as things are not getting better either.

“We have sat down to review steps that should be taken and we are calling for total overhaul of the system to block all the leakages in our nation’s economy,” Governor Okorcha said.

Other issues in the front burner include how to curb insurgency in Bornu, Yobe and Adamawa states and what the president is doing in collaboration with the international community.

The Governors also expressed concerns over the decision to dismantle military check points, stressing that it was not the right time for such decision.

Some of the governors present include those of Nasarawa, Imo, Gombe, Benue, Delta, Niger, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Kogi, Borno, Jigawa, Rivers, Ogun, Kebbi, Kwara, Taraba, Ekiti, Ondo, Kaduna, Oyo, Osun, Edo, Anambra, Sokoto, Ebonyi, Lagos, Adamawa, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Yobe, Plateau (Deputy), Bayelsa (Deputy).

--ChannelsTV

Imo SSS Parades Five Suspected Kidnappers

The Department of State Security Service Imo State Command has arrested six suspected kidnappers, including one female, for allegedly kidnapping one Nnawike Chinaka in Nkwerre Local Government Area of Imo State.

The suspects were paraded at the SSS Headquarters in Owerri, the Imo State capital, in the presence of the State Governor, Rochas Okorocha.

The Director of SSS in the state, Mr Francis Ejiofor, said that the command is desirous to curb the trend and menace of kidnapping in the state and as such set up a special task force to address the issue of kidnapping and one of the early successes of the new task force was the arrest of the 6-man gang of suspected kidnappers and the rescue of the kidnap victim alive.

Governor Rochas Okorocha commended security operatives in the state for trying to see that kidnapping and related criminal activities are reduced in the state.

He assured the people of the state that the state government would provide adequate support and partnership to all security operatives in the state in order to make Imo a peaceful and crime free state.

--ChannelsTV

Buhari Vows To Recover Billions Of Dollars In The Next Three Months

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Abuja assured State Governors that the days of impunity, lack of accountability, and fiscal recklessness in the management of national resources are over in Nigeria.

Speaking at a meeting with the Governors in the Presidential Villa, President Buhari also vowed that funds stolen by government officials who abused their offices in the recent past will be recovered and systemic leakages stopped.

"There are financial and administrative instructions in every government parastatal and agency. But all these were thrown to the dogs in the past. Honestly, our problems are great, but we will do our best to surmount them.

"The next three months may be hard, but billions of dollars can be recovered, and we will do our best, " the President told the governors.

Expressing surprise that the governors had tolerated the atrocities allegedly committed with the Excess Crude Account since 2011, President Buhari promised to tackle the issue decisively.

The President declared that the payment of national revenue into any account other than the Federation Account was an abuse of the constitution, adding that what he had heard was going on in many agencies and corporations, particularly the NNPC, was clearly illegal.

On the refund of monies spent on federal projects by state governments, President Buhari assured the governors that the Federal Government will pay, but insisted that due process must be followed.

The President promised special assistance for the three North Eastern states badly affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

He also said that a comprehensive statement on the economic and financial situation inherited by his administration will be made to the nation within the next four weeks.

"We will try and put the system back into the right position. What happened in the 2nd Republic has apparently happened again, and even worse, but we will restore sanity to the system," President Buhari assured the Governors.

On an immediate lifeline for states that owe salaries running into many months, President Buhari said that a committee headed by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, will look at the Excess Crude Account and see what can be shared immediately.

The governors, led by Chairman of the Governors Forum, Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, had presented a wish list to the President that included:

Ø Obedience of extant Supreme Court ruling that all monies go into the Consolidated Federation Account;

Ø An order from the President that all revenue generating agencies must pay into the Consolidated Federation Account;

Ø Review of the Revenue Allocation Formula;

Ø Refund of the monies expended by states on federal projects;

Ø A special consideration for the three states of the North East under Boko Haram infestation;

Ø Full details of the amounts that accrued into the Excess Crude Account from 2011, and how the money miraculously shrank without official sharing.

Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President

(Media and Publicity)
June 23, 2015

Full Text: Welcome Speech By Senate President On Resumption Of The 8th Senate

WE LOCO ME SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, HIS EXCELLENCY, SENATOR (DR) ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI (CON) TO SENATORS OF THE 8TH SENATE ON RESUMPTION FROM A SHORT RECESS ON TUESDAY, 23 JUNE, 2015.

Protocol:

1. Distinguished colleagues, I am especially delighted to welcome you back to the hallowed Chamber of the Senate after a short recess. It is my hope that the recess afforded some of us time to rest from the dizzying activities of elections and inauguration such that we could feel the pulse of the nation again and be ready to get unto the business of making laws for the peace, order and good government of Nigeria.

2. As I had noted in my inaugural address, the task before us is enormous but very clear. Nigerians voted for change. They demand that we deliver to them tangible change. They expect that we improve the quality of governance. Three clear issues agitate their mind today; the falling government revenues and the current fiscal crisis in many of our states, the unsustainable cost of governance in the country and the rising cost of doing business in Nigeria.These concerns have also agitated our minds individually and collectively and we must provide answers because it can no longer be business as usual.

3. It is clear that it is at times like these that nations either buckle up, face the realities of their predicaments, and forge ahead to ensure a brighter future for the next generation, or turn a blind eye to the extravagant facts that are staring us in the face. As it stands, given the trust that Nigerians have placed on us, legislators of the 8th National Assembly, to leave a historic impact on the affairs of our nation, we must choose to show that we are made for this moments, to leave a historic impact. Without doing so, we will not have the moral authority to question Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that carryon with little regards for the public good.

4. My fellow colleagues, I dare say to you, it is time for us toroll up the sleeves for history beacons. We must hold fast to the reason we were elected in the first place to listen to and fight for the concerns of our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, fathers and mothers back home. We are the closest representation that they have to the federal system; hence, we must also be the most dogged-advocates of their demands.

5. In the last few days, we have seen the media awash with fictitious reports on wardrobe allowances for National Assembly members. The response to this report, which was not just false and malicious but also reckless at best, further emphasizes the need for us to run a more transparent National Assembly to avoid the attendant misinformation this type of mischief can bring.

6. In the light of this, distinguished colleagues, and in keeping with our avowed commitment to lead from the frontline, I met last week with officials from the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the Statutory body with the remit to set salaries and allowances for both the Executive and the Legislature, to get accurate information on the true state of all salaries and allowances for members of the National Assembly. In the coming days after the leadership of the National Assembly is fully established, we shall be setting up an ad hoc committee to reappraise the structure of the National Assembly budget, make it more open, and ensure that the entire budget is in line with economic realities.

7. With the falling price of oil in the international market and the attendant reduction in revenues, the fiscal stress is already beginning to tell on our economy with some states becoming hard pressed to pay even salaries of workers. Implementation of capital projects under the budget has become very challenging. These problems will not wait for us to settle down, we must get into the business segment and make priority efforts to have a closer review of the revenue stream.

stream. One sure task we must deal with to minimize the current crisis will be to find ways and means to shore up the revenues. To achieve this all cards will be on the table. Most importantly, we must reduce to the barest minimum revenue leakage points; strengthen oversight of the entire revenue collection and mobilization architecture of the federation.

8. In view therefore, may I seize this opportunity to announce to you, the immediate composition of an 18man Senate ad hoc committee comprising of 3 Senators from each geopolitical zone, to immediately draw up a Legislative Agenda for the 8th Senate within a week. The expected draft agenda, which will be laid on the floor of the Senate for your approval my distinguished colleagues, will give the Senate focus and cohesion in pursuing our set targets.

9. Distinguished colleagues, now that we are back, there is no doubt that we have great legislative challenges to face and the high expectations of our people to meet. We must see the challenges we face today also as opportunity to look inwards to find answers to our developmental problems. All that we need is patriotism, maturity and unconditional commitment to the course of change.

10. My distinguished colleagues, I believe we can make this nation Nigeria great again. 

--stream. One sure task we must deal with to minimize the current crisis will be to find ways and means to shore up the revenues. To achieve this all cards will be on the table. Most importantly, we must reduce to the barest minimum revenue leakage points; strengthen oversight of the entire revenue collection and mobilization architecture of the federation.

8. In view therefore, may I seize this opportunity to announce to you, the immediate composition of an 18man Senate ad hoc committee comprising of 3 Senators from each geopolitical zone, to immediately draw up a Legislative Agenda for the 8th Senate within a week. The expected draft agenda, which will be laid on the floor of the Senate for your approval my distinguished colleagues, will give the Senate focus and cohesion in pursuing our set targets.

9. Distinguished colleagues, now that we are back, there is no doubt that we have great legislative challenges to face and the high expectations of our people to meet. We must see the challenges we face today also as opportunity to look inwards to find answers to our developmental problems. All that we need is patriotism, maturity and unconditional commitment to the course of change.

10. My distinguished colleagues, I believe we can make this nation Nigeria great again. But it all starts now if we all can believe.

11. Thank you for your attention and God bless Nigeria.

Read more at ChannelsTV

Ikpeazu Cuts Personal Salary, Travelling Expenses

Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has cut his salary and travelling
allowances by 50 per cent.

Speaking in Umuahia at the swearing in of the Head of Service (HOS),
Dr. Vivian Uma, Ikpeazu said his administration was concerned about
workers' plight.

He said he was touched by his administration's inability to pay
salaries, stressing that it is difficult for him to receive salary
when workers were owed salary arrears.

The governor promised to ensure that worker's salaries and allowances
are systematically cleared.

Ikpeazu called on government appointees to follow his example because
according to him, there was need to cut the cost of governance for
effective operation.

He congratulated the HOS, describing her appointment as a milestone
and urged her to prioritise workers' welfare.

Responding, Dr. Uma promised to bring a positive transformation to the
civil service. She assured the people that discipline and sound
ethical conduct would be enthroned for greater service delivery.

The state government has reiterated that only two agencies were
authorised to collect levies and dues on its behalf.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Godwin
Adindu, said the Abia State Passengers Integrated Manifest and Safety
Scheme (ASPIMSS) and the Physical Planning Industrial Development Fund
(PPIDF) were the only agencies mandated to act for government.

The statement reads: "The public is mandated to pay their levies to
these two agencies. Any other group, individuals or agents, who have
continued to defy government's order, are warned to desist from their
illegal acts.

Already, a special security taskforce has started apprehending
culprits and they will face the full weight of the law".

President Orders Removal Of Military Check Points

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the immediate removal of
military check points across the country.

Police are now to take charge of the internal security.

The decision was taken at the meeting the president had with military
chiefs at the State House yesterday.

It was the first major meeting the president had on his first day at
work at the Presidential Villa, which he moved into on Sunday, 23 days
after he was sworn into office.

He operated from the Defence House which he used as the president-elect.

Ministry of Defence Permanent Secretary Alhaji Ismail Aliyu, spoke to
reporters after about five hours defence briefing.

He said the Boko Haram insurgency will soon be over.
According to him, the Lake Chad Basin Commission nations have
fashioned a new strategy to tackle insecurity.

He said: "The President has instructed the Chief of Defence Staff to
get the Chief of Army Staff and Inspector General of Police to remove
all the military men along the road across the country.

"The Nigerian Armed Forces are very ready, we have briefed him. One
most interesting thing about it is that we are going out much happier
because he has shown to us that he is still a soldier, he has updated
and enriched our strategic plans.

"Second item that was discussed is the movement of the command centre
to the NorthEast. We have briefed him (president) on how far we have
reached on that and he has given us some additional assignment, but
very soon the centre will be on.

"I also want to assure Nigerians that with what we have come out with
from this meeting, we are very enthusiastic that the issue of Boko
Haram will soon be over. He has given us hope that we will see peace
and security in the near future .

On what will be done differently, he said: "Now we have come as a
united front, we have Chad, Cameroon, Benin and Niger. We have all
strategised and we are coming out with one type of strategy that we
are going to address the Boko Haram with, unlike before.

He said that the issue of change of service chiefs did not come up.

On the absence of the Inspector-General of Police and the
Director-General of the Department of Security Service (DSS) and
others from the meeting, he said: "This is not a national security
meeting. This is a briefing meeting by the Ministry of Defence on the
operationalisation of the Multi-National Joint Task Force and the
relocation of the command control centre to the Northeast. So, it is
something restricted to the ministry of Defence."

Buhari orders removal of soldiers from non-essential check points

A statement on the meeting by the president's media office said:
"Buhari reaffirmed his administration's total commitment to ending the
Boko Haram insurgency in the shortest possible time.

"He welcomed the progress report he was given on the implementation of
his order that the Military Command Control Centre be relocated to
Maiduguri.

"President Buhari who, in keeping with the declared priorities of his
government, made the meeting with defence and security chiefs the top
item on his schedule on his first day at work in the Presidential
Villa.

"He also expressed satisfaction at the progress made so far in the
implementation of the decision of the Lake Chad Basin Commission to
fast-track the deployment of the Multinational Joint Task Force based
in Ndjamena.

"The defence and security chiefs who met with the President and Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo for over three and half hours and also briefed
them on the refurbishment of existing military platforms and the
acquisition of new weapons for the Armed Forces."

Mrs. Buhari’s Brothers, Cousins Collect Millions Of Naira To Grant Access To First Lady

>Photo: Aisha Buhari's brother – Musa Halilu also known as Musa Yola

​At a dinner organized recently by the First Lady in the State House,
Abuja, to thank Nigerian women for their support for the Presidential
Candidate of the APC [All Progressive Congress] in the 2015 elections,
General Muhammadu Buhari, his wife, Hajia Aisha Buhari gave an unusual
warning to the yet-to-be appointed aides of her husband, President
Muhammadu Buhari.

​She averred that unlike in the past when the aides of the First
Family collected huge sums of money in bribes from visitors before
they could grant them access to the State House, under the Buhari
administration, such corrupt practices would not be condoned.
​
But investigation has revealed that contrary to Hajia Buhari's public
posturing, the reverse is the case with her siblings who have
constituted themselves into unofficial aides of the First Family and
are collecting huge sums of money from people with the promise to
facilitate appointment into public offices, contracts, and other
favours from the Buhari administration.
​
It has been gathered from a reliable source that two of Aisha
Buhari's brothers, Musa Halilu also known as Musa Yola, who is her
step brother and Modi Halilu, have teamed up with one Musa Daura,
President Buhari's nephew, to be fleecingNigerians and foreigners
alike, who want to have audience with the First Lady.
​
Investigation into the reprehensible activities of the trio reveals
that since the emergence of Buhari as the president-elect, Musa, Modi
and Musa Daura made themselves too visible around the First Lady to
the extent that they caught the attention of those seeking Hajia
Buhari's audience to influence her husband for one favour or the
other, as is customary with a typical Nigerian politician. It is
widely believed that because of President Buhari's tough stance, some
people would choose to go through his wife, Aisha, to seek for
favours.
​
The three, who used to be unemployed and survived on patronage, have
since moved into permanent suites at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja
allegedly on the bill of a Senator who had his eyes on the seat of the
Senate President.
​
Discussions with some members of the APC,who are familiar with the
antics of the three young men, indicated that they were known for
extorting people who wanted audience with General Buhari or his wife
even during the days of the CPC.
​
It has come to our knowledge that within one month of the declaration
of Buhari as the president-elect, Aisha Buhari's brothers and the
president's cousin, Musa Daura, have come into instant wealth, owning
choice properties in the highbrow Maitama District of Abuja, Gwarimpa
and on Galadima Road in Kaduna ranging from N150 million to N500
million.
​
Musa Yola now cruises in a Mercedes E Class worth N18 million and
lavishes as much as $30,000 on a prostitute for a one night stand.
​
It has also been revealed by a source that officials of the Jonathan
administration who are afraid of probe by Buhari, especially those in
the Oil Sector, have turned into the preys of Aisha Buhari's brothers.
They have been milking them systematically with the promise to reach
out to the First Lady for protection against Buhari's sledgehammer.

State Governors, especially those in the APC have equally become easy
targets of extortion by Aisha Buhari's brothers.
​
People seeking for appointment as Group Managing Director of NNPC,
Accountant General of the Federation, Chairman of Federal Inland
Revenue Service, Director General, Security and Exchange Commission,
Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service among other juicy
portfolios, have since submitted their resumes to Aisha Buhari's
siblings at the Hilton after parting with huge sums of money in hard
currencies.

The conduct of the three is in defiance of Buhari's directives, who
had earlier issued warning to members of his family to steer clear of
anything that would bring his administration to disrepute.
​
As the administration of Buhari takes its shape, people in the know
of the conduct of Aisha Buhari's brothers are watching with keen
interest to see how events will unfold in the coming months and years.
​
​
Attempts by 247ureports correspondents to get the reaction of the trio
at the Hilton were rebuffed by security officials bearing weapons.

—247ureports