Corruption: FG launches major war against senators, Reps …begins probe of N200bn constituency projects

The Federal Government has started compiling the list of legislators in both chambers of the National Assembly over constituency projects earmarked for them in the 2014 and 2015 budgets, which were not executed.

The sum of N100bn was earmarked for constituency projects in each of the 2014 and 2015 budgets.

The worth of constituency projects totalled N200bn for the two years.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), told one of our correspondents on Sunday that the compilation was being done by the police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission.

Though he declined to give details “in order not to pre-empt investigation,” the AGF said the funds, the names of legislators and the constituency projects that were not executed would be made public after investigation.

He said his office and the law enforcement agencies had received complaints of how payments were made for constituency projects that were never executed.

He said, “The money for constituency projects had been taken, but certain allegations prevailed that some constituency projects were not executed after the money had been paid 100 per cent.

“If money is appropriated in the budget, paid and the projects the funds were meant for were not executed, it is only natural to take steps to find out what happened. If neither the money nor the project can be produced, then you must take steps in accordance with the law.

“There are cases that are specific; we are compiling them. I will not want to pre-empt investigation, we have to allow investigation to be concluded before we go public.”

When asked which of EFCC or ICPC was involved in probing the constituency project fraud, the minister responded, “including the police”.

 One of our correspondents learnt that the AGF had received petitions against many of the federal legislators, including a former Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin.

Jibrin had also petitioned the EFCC, ICPC, the police and the Department of State Services, alleging that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, and three other principal officers had requested the inclusion of N40bn projects in the 2016 budget, besides other projects in sums ranging from N20bn to N30bn.

The police are currently investigating Jibrin’s allegations.

MDAs responsible for constituency projects –Lawmakers

However, some lawmakers, who spoke to The PUNCH on Sunday, stated that ministries, departments and agencies under the executive were responsible for the execution of constituency projects.

They explained that lawmakers only identified projects, put them in the national budget, while the MDAs execute them after the president had approved the budget.

 The representative of the Oyo South senatorial district at the Senate, Senator Adesoji Akanbi, said any probe into the constituency projects should start from the executive.

He said, “There is a certain amount set aside for constituency projects. Each lawmaker is allocated a certain amount of money and they will identify the projects of their choice. But the execution by contractors has nothing to do with lawmakers. The main role we play is to name the project and make sure that the project is executed.”

 When he was asked if it was possible for a lawmaker to influence the selection of the contractor and the execution of the project, Akanbi said, “That means the ministry or the agency handling the project has been compromised.’’

Akanbi, however, said lawmakers could be culpable in the manipulation because they had to certify that the job had been done before the contractor could be paid.

Senator George Sekibo, who is recontesting his election in the Rivers-East senatorial district, also said the projects included in any budget passed by the National Assembly were executed by the MDAs.

The legistlator, who has been in the Senate since 2007, stated that lawmakers were not involved in the execution of constituency projects.

He said, ‘‘Nobody gives a kobo to any senator for constituency project. All a senator does is to recommend a project for his constituency.”

The House also said the role of lawmakers in constituency projects was limited to the selection of the projects, while relevant MDAs carried out the implementation.

It also said no member was handed cash or paid money for the implementation of the projects.

The Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, said, “Members do not execute constituency projects, and they don’t receive money for the projects.

“For example, a health centre will naturally be done by the Ministry of Health or any agency so designated by the executive to handle the project. It is not the member who implements the project or appoints the contractors.”

CSOs back FG probe

Civil rights groups, which spoke to The PUNCH, supported the probe.

A United States-based activist, Simon Ajaja, said constituency projects had brought fraud.

He  said, “The idea is an organised fraud driven by the mostly ignoble men and women who have serially foisted themselves on Nigeria and Nigerians as their lawmakers, but with no intentions of making laws that would engineer  national development beyond advancing a cause for themselves via phoney loopholes in the system.”

Also, the Executive Secretary of The Anti-Corruption Network, Ebenezer Oyetakin, urged the Federal Government to carry out a thorough probe.

“The constituency projects have become an avenue for the members of the National Assembly to recoup the outrageous money spent to run elections and to feed their corruption nest rather than serving the purpose they are defined to serve,” he added.

The President of Campaign for Democracy, Bako Usman, said, “This will create more synergy between the executive and the legislature, and even the judiciary. When it comes to budget harmonisation and implementation, issues like padding will no longer occur.”

 The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, advised the government to limit access to money by public officials.

He said, “The government should start institutional reforms that will ensure that people don’t have access to that kind of money again.’’

Efforts to get the reaction of the Senate’s spokesperson, Senator Sani Abdullahi, proved abortive as his mobile phone rang out. He had yet to reply to a text message sent to him.

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We aren’t sure Chibok girls are in Sambisa Forest –Air chief

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, says the Nigerian Air Force has no intelligence on whether the Chibok girls are in Sambisa Forest or not.

Abubakar, who spoke during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja on Saturday, however, said the NAF was working round  the  clock to rescue the girls and other Nigerians abducted by Boko Haram.

The NAF chief also commented on the operation of the force in the South-South, saying the air force would not bomb Niger Delta.

When Abubakar was asked if the air force had any intelligence on whether Chibok girls were in the Sambisa Forest or not, he said, “Honestly we don’t. That is the truth of the matter. Even if you see women that are dressed in hijab, how are you sure they are women; that they are not men? It is only when you get there and they remove the hijab that you now realise that they are men and they have their rifles.

“There is no credible intelligence that will specifically tell you that these girls are here.”

He said the air force flew its planes daily with the hope of sighting the Chibok girls, adding that the military, like other Nigerians, was passionate about them.

He said about 50 per cent of the NAF flying missions in counter-insurgency operations were devoted to Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance.

According to him, the ISR is aimed at rescuing the Chibok girls and other Nigerians abducted by the sect.

He said, “There is no day that the sun rises and sets that we do not go out hoping to see these girls. From January this year to August 17, we flew 2,600 hours.   About 50 per cent of that was Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance.

 “We are hoping that through the intelligence, we will be able to capture the movement of those girls; we will be able to locate what we consider legitimate targets.”

He dismissed the latest Boko Haram video, where the sect displayed some girls, which it claimed were killed by military bombardment, as cheap propaganda.

Abubakar explained that there was no way bodies of people killed by bombardment could be intact as shown in the video.

He stated, “Even the IED (improvised explosive device) that they (the sect) developed, have you ever seen a complete body together after an attack on any location?”

He insisted that what was shown in the video could not have been something that happened after an air strike.

He added, “These guys are just trying to whip up sentiment because they know that every Nigerian is concerned about the girls.”

He said although there was no military operation without collateral damage, the air force was doing everything possible to determine legitimate targets.

The air force chief said Sambisa forest, which is about 60,000 square kilometres, was a difficult terrain, especially for the land forces.

He explained that equipment could get stuck in the forest during the rainy season.

He added that with what the air force had seen from its reconnaissance, it was difficult to say that the place was still occupied.

 Abubakar said with the logistics base of the sect destroyed by the air force, it would be easier for land forces to move into the forest during the dry season.

He also disclosed that the air force would soon commence its operations in the South-South.

He stated that the air force would not bomb the Niger Delta, but would protect the people and facilities.

“We are not going to bomb the Niger Delta;  we are going to protect the people and oil and gas infrastructure,” he stated.

 He added that NAF had entered into partnership with 15 Nigerian universities and polytechnics, through which it had been producing spare parts to service grounded aircraft.

He said, “Our aircraft require spare parts from time to time. Since most of these spare parts are not available here, we need to look   inward.”

 BBOG marches to Aso Rock

 The #BringBackOurGirls spokesman, Abdullahi Abdullahi, declined to comment on the air force statement that it had no intelligence on the Chibok girls.

“We don’t have any comment for now,” Abdullahi said on Sunday.

The group and parents of the abducted girls will, however, march to the Presidential Villa today (Monday).

The #BringBackOurGirls movement had, in a statement on Thursday, said it would commence street marches to the Presidential Villa from Monday (today), as part of measures to compel the Federal Government and the global community to take action to ‘‘rescue the 219 Chibok schoolgirls.’’

The group stated that it would also engage the media and other critical stakeholders, including international organisations and statesmen.

The BBOG, in a reminder to journalists on Sunday, explained that the planned march followed the lukewarm response from the government to the video of the girls that was released last week by Boko Haram.

“Areas to be covered during the period of engagement include the #ChibokGirls, the humanitarian crisis in the North-East, corruption in the disbursement of relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons camps and the arms deal saga,” the group stated.

Meanwhile, a civil rights movement, Coalition Against Terrorism and Extremism, has demanded that Ahmed Salkida, Aisha Wakil and Ahmed Bolori, who were recently declared wanted by the military authorities, should assist in securing the release of the Chibok girls.

The organisation also appealed to the #Bring Back Our Girls team to direct its protests against Salkida, Wakil and Bolori.

Speaking in Abuja on Sunday, the National Coordinator of CATE, Gabriel Onoja, said  the three personalities named by the military possibly knew more about Boko Haram than the security agencies.

Onoja said, “We are appealing to the trio of Salkida, Wakil and Bolori and other persons with links with Boko Haram to prevail on the abductors of these girls to release them unconditionally.’’

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IBB must face probe over $12.4bn oil windfall, says SERAP

A rights advocacy group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, has called on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to reopen the unresolved case of the “missing $12.4bn oil windfall.”

According to the group, the money was spent between 1988 and 1993 by the government of a former military dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.

SERAP urged Malami to use his office and power under Section 174(1) of the Constitution and sections 104-106 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act to establish the truth about what happened to the money and to prosecute anyone found culpable.

The group made the call in an open letter by its Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, to the AGF on Sunday.

The letter read, “SERAP, has for many years, sought explanation and official release of the Pius Okigbo panel report, which the government voluntarily established. But successive administration blocked every chance to officially release the Okigbo Report with some even claiming that the report could not be found.

“SERAP’s request is entirely consistent with the established legal principle that in matters relating to crimes, including corruption, time does not run against the state.

“Reopening the case would also send a clear message that cases of high-level official corruption would not go unpunished no matter how long it takes and that suspected perpetrators would be held to account, no matter who is involved.

“SERAP also believes that reopening the unresolved case of missing $12.4bn oil windfall would serve as a litmus test for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari often repeated commitments to transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption in the country.

“Full accountability for the missing public funds would contribute to ending impunity of high-ranking public officials for large-scale corruption and provide effective remedies to victims of corruption.”

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Prayer can solve Nigeria’s problems faster, says Gowon

former Nigerian Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd), has described prayer as a formidable weapon that can solve the nation’s many challenges better and faster.

Gowon said this in Ibadan on Sunday evening at a one-day prayer rally organised by the South-West Zone of a non-denominational religious group – ‘Nigeria Prays’.

The prayer campaign, which had gone round the country in the last 20 years, is spearheaded by Gowon.

It is the longest campaign in Nigeria to mobilise people for regular, fervent and result-oriented prayers for the healing and transformation of the country.

‘Nigeria Prays’ is also a project aimed at promoting the virtues of patriotism, transparency, integrity and incorruptibility in leadership, governance and in the entire citizenry.

At the rally held at the Rehoboth Cathedral, Oluyole Estate, Ibadan, Gowon commended the people for their usual support for the programme, and added that their prayers would never be in vain.

He said, “And I can say this with every authority that prayer can solve problems better and faster than generals and soldiers can do with physical weapons of war.

“I have no doubt in my heart that God will honour our collective prayer and intercession for our dear nation and heal our nation of all challenges facing her.”

The rally prayed for Nigeria, Its leaders at all levels and arms of government, and the people in general.

It also prayed for peace in the country, economic emancipation and for the rejuvenation of all the various sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State commended Gowon for the initiative, saying it was a mission aimed at promoting the virtues of transparency, incorruptibility, integrity and fellowship.

He said that Nigerians were the most religious people in the world but extremely ungodly, adding that societies always get the leaders they deserved.

The governor called for attitudinal change. He said that prayer without hard work would not solve the problems of the country.

He said, “It is not enough to pray, but to walk the talk. ‘Nigeria prays’ is a better initiative for the Nigerian project.

“For government to succeed, the followership must support,” he said.

Ajimobi described Gowon as a very godly man who had always served humanity diligently, having piloted Nigeria through turbulent times at a young age.

In his views, Bishop Joseph Akinfenwa, the Archbishop of the Anglican Communion, Ibadan Diocese, said there were lots of controversies in the country, and that the nation had never been so divided.

He described Nigeria as a nation currently witnessing the struggle for its soul, adding that God would never surrender the country to the devil.

He said, “We have to be careful of how we interpret and react to the Nigerian situation. Our prayers and attitude must be connected as we pray for divine visitation on Nigeria.

“We should ensure that our confession does not contradict our demands and prayers.”

The event was also attended by Bishop Taiwo Adelakun, Chairman, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Oyo State Chapter and Pastor Benjamin Akanmu, the State Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

NAN

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Boko Haram sacks Borno village

Boko Haram insurgents have sacked a village, Shawa, in Askira Local Government Area of Borno State, the leader of the youth vigilance group in the area, Istifanus Apagu told our correspondent on phone.

Apagu said on Monday that the insurgents who rode on bicycles attacked the village on Sunday.

He said they burnt down the entire village and injured many residents.

Apagu, who is the leader of the Civilian JTF in Mussa district, said he visited the scene moments after the attack.

He said nothing was left in Shawa village.

He said: “They (insurgents) came on bicycle around 4am on Sunday morning while people were sleeping and started opening fire on the helpless civilian as the villagers fled into bushes but many were critical injured.”

“No lives were lost but the whole village was set ablaze and nothing was left standing. In fact, they went away with the six bicycles.”

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Fake miracle syndicate nabbed, says pastor hired them

 

Members of a syndicate, which specialised in confirming fake prophecies for pastors, have been arrested by the police in Enugu State.

Our correspondent gathered that the group also faked healings for some men of God, who contracted and paid them for their services.

The suspected fraudsters were identified as Obi Ejike from Ubaho Okija in Anambra State; Mary Kuku from Ijebu Ode, Ogun State; Joy Oluwakemi from Ojo, Lagos State; Nwosu Chizoba from Umunze, Anambra State; and Peter Uchechi from Ebonyi State.

They were reportedly apprehended while on their way to Abakiliki, Ebonyi State, where they were contracted to stage phoney miracles and healings for an unnamed pastor in the state.

naijatonic learnt that the suspects were apprehended on Friday during an argument while waiting to board a vehicle at Holy Ghost Park, Enugu.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Police Command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the development on Sunday, explained that the argument among the fraudsters drew the attention of some policemen within the premises of the park, who interrogated them.

Amaraizu said two members of the syndicate, Ejike and Oluwakemi, opened up on the group’s activities.

Revelations made by the duo led to the arrest of other members of the group at P and T bus stop, Enugu, on Saturday, where they had assembled to board a bus to Abakiliki, the venue of a church service.

A member of the group, Uchechi, said they were usually recruited in large numbers and kept in a house from where they would shuttle to confirm fake prophecies and stage-manage miracles for pastors.

Uchechi said they were usually paid through a coordinator, who acted as a middleman between the syndicate and the pastors.

Upon their arrival in the church, a man, who works for the pastor, would instruct the syndicate on the nature of the assignment.

Uchechi explained that before the scheduled church service, they would list their names and the fake ailments they had, which would be given to the pastor while  ministering to the congregation.

During the ‘prophetic hour’ session of the service, members of the syndicate, who were already known to the pastor, would come out when people who had problems were summoned to the altar.

Subsequently, members of the syndicate would announce before the congregation that they had received healing following the pastor’s ministrations.

In other cases, according to Uchechi, members of the syndicate would come out to ‘confirm’ a prophecy, which would be made by the pastor in the course of the service, based on the information they provided before the session.

She added that the members of their group usually fell under the ‘influence’ of the pastor’s anointing, during worship sessions.

“Some pastors use us to grow their churches and ministries and we are paid later through our coordinator, depending on our roles,” Uchechi said.

Ejike, who explained that he worked with the coordinator, admitted that he was in charge of the Abakiliki job, which the group was going for when they were apprehended.

He said he decided to go into the fake prophecy business after his business collapsed in Lagos.

Ejike added that he was mostly involved in the recruitment of personnel for various assignments.

Another member of the group, Chizoba, said she started the ‘business’ in Abuja, after finding it difficult to fend for her baby, who she had out of wedlock.

According to her, she eventually relocated to Onitsha, Anambra State, to team up with the syndicate.

Two other members of the syndicate, Oluwakemi and Kuku, claimed to be widows with four children each, adding that hardship pushed them into the crime.

The police spokesperson, Amaraizu, said investigations were ongoing.

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PDP chairmanship: Mimiko, Fayose, S’West leaders to decide Monday

Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko

Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, his Ekiti State counterpart, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, and other leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party from the South-West, will meet in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Monday, to pick a consensus candidate among those running for the office of the national chairman of the party.

The national convention of the party will hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on August 17 where national officers of the main opposition party are expected to be elected.

Ahead of the convention, the Expanded National Caucus of the party had zoned the office of the national chairman to the southern part of the country.

Fayose

Leaders of the party from the entire southern region met at Port Harcourt on Thursday where they said the office should go to the South-West, which is the only zone out of the three zones in the region, that had yet to produce the national chairman of the party.

Already, two formidable candidates from the zone have openly indicated their interest in the race.

The candidates are a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Bode George and a former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran.

But while George had paid the mandatory N1m nomination fee and picked his nomination form at the party’s temporary secretariat in Abuja, Adeniran said he would pick his own on Monday.

There are rumours that other candidates are still consulting and could pick their nomination forms from this week.

Those who were believed to be nursing the ambition are, a former governorship candidate of the party in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje and a former Minister of Youths and Sports, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja.

George and Agbaje are from Lagos State while Adeniran and Adedoja are from Ekiti and Oyo States respetitively.

The Akure meeting is believed to be crucial as other offices apart from that of the national chairman which had also been zoned to the region, would be shared.

The two offices are that of the National Treasurer and Deputy National Publicity Secretary.

The meeting, it was gathered, would also allocate the state or states that should produce the zonal vice chairman.

A former Minister of Transportation, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, who confirmed that invitations had been sent to those expected to be at the meeting, described it as crucial.

Babatope said that the meeting would afford the members of the party to critically peruse the credentials of those interested in the offices, especially that of the national chairman.

He said, “All of us are going to Akure on Monday where we are going to discuss on those that will represent us at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja.

“Now that we have the opportunity to present the national chairman, we must present someone that is acceptable to the generality of members of the party and also, such a person must represent us well.”

Meanwhile, a group within the Peoples Democratic Party, Concerned Stakeholders, has kicked against the recent zoning arrangement of the party which ceded the national chairmanship position to the South-West.

It asked the party’s delegates to boycott the convention of the party scheduled to hold on August 17.

The group, in a statement issued by its patron, Prof. Tayo Adeyemi, on Saturday, said the zoning arrangement was illegal and was tantamount to moving the goalposts.

It said the PDP’s constitution did not specify the extent of the power of the caretaker committee.

According to the group, the ambiguity in the provisions of the constitution is a good reason for the party’s leadership to be careful.

The statement partly read, “What are the criteria for candidates vying for the post of the national chairman? This is the problem of the PDP. A national post must have laid down criteria. Candidates vying for such a position must have spent a reasonable number of years in the party, must never have been indicted by the anti-graft agencies and must have never served any jail term

“It is, therefore, unfortunate that after the chairmanship race commenced and it was obvious that some candidates were getting unpopular , the usual  manoeuvring which cost the PDP the woeful loss at the 2015 election has commenced again. Any attempt to suppress the common will of the people would result in a total disintegration of the party.”

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I’ve not returned to PDP — Obasanjo

Ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday denied the news making the rounds that he had returned to the Peoples Democratic Party.

Obasanjo in a press statement issued on his behalf at Abeokuta, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent, said the misconception that he had returned to the PDP, was fuelled by his photograph taken at the Shehu Yar’adua Centre, Abuja on Friday.

The Centre, he explained, was incidentally,  the venue of the inauguration of the PDP national convention committee.

Clearing the air on his presence at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre, Obasanjo said he had gone there to attend an event ‘Zero Hunger Nigeria’ organised by the Commodities Association Stakeholders.

The statement added that a few minutes into the session, the attention of Obasanjo was drawn to the presence of some politicians, who later walked up to him and exchanged pleasantries.

It explained that among those who came to pay homage to Obasanjo, included Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Senator Ben Obi and a former Deputy President the Senate, Ibrahim Mantu.

The statement added that  whoever took the picture of the former president when he was leaving the  venue of the event, planned to annoy and embarrass him.

Obasanjo in the statement, said some hours after he arrived Lagos on the same day, he began to receive calls, concerning the photograph.

The former President re-affirmed that he had quit partisan politics for good, and that anybody hoping to drag him back would fail.

He said whoever believed the story of his going back to the PDP, would also believe a charade that his or her mother was not a woman.

It will be recalled that Obasanjo had on February 16, 2015 ordered that his PDP membership card be torn, indicating that he had left the party.

The statement read, “The attention of the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has been brought to the photonews story, which has gone viral on the social media on Friday, August 5, 2016 of his purported being ‘spotted’ at a Peoples Democratic Party event at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, Abuja.

“While ordinarily his first reaction to the news was that those behind it targeted to get him annoyed and embarrassed him, his conclusion was that he had told the world that he has quit partisan politics and that is final.

“Anybody hoping to drag him back will fail like any man feeding mice to a dead cat.”

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Rio 2016: Shame as Team Nigeria march in tracksuits

Team Nigeria

It was another show of shame for Team Nigeria on Friday in Rio — after the late arrival of the U-23 football team on Thursday — as the country’s contingent, led by table tennis star Funke Oshonaike, filed out for the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games on Friday dressed in tracksuits.

The opening ceremony of the Olympics is usually used by participating teams to display their country’s traditional wears and culture before over one billion viewers globally but Team Nigeria marched with tracksuits in Rio after the official kits earmarked for the outing did not arrive in Rio on time, according to reports.

Alexander Wolff, a sports writer covering the Games tweeted, “Nigeria, marching in sweats because official outfits didn’t make it to Rio. Can we agree that they’re a country to pull for these two weeks?”

In the past, Team Nigeria were known for their colourful outfits, which showcased the country’s rich culture, at such international sporting events.

The original attire for the Games was actually made by Nigerian designer, David Bowler, and was showcased to President Muhammadu Buhari in July, when Team Nigeria paid him a visit.

Our correspondent learnt that with Bowler’s design the male athletes would have appeared in typical South South dressing spotting hats with the women’s uniform the contrasting wear of a Nigerian woman with modern attitude in her long cape dress, tying a turban.

Sydney 2000 Olympics gold medallist Enefiong Udo-Obong was confounded that Bowler’s design was abandoned for the  tracksuits in Brazil, suggesting it might not be unconnected with corrupt practices by officials.

“The style (of Bowler’s design) may have left questions in the lips of many but they were gorgeous and proper. It would have showcased our ladies as beautiful people and our men as gentlemen. It would have sold our local designer to the world as our version or answer to Gucci and Calvin Klein and the rest. Instead we did not. Despite months of sleepless nights to design the attire and lots of money to make samples; despite the fashion parade the (sports) minister did to showcase the uniform with athletes to model it to the President, we did not use the smartly made dresses,” Udo-Obong wrote in talkwithenee.blogspot.com.ng.

“The reason why? Someone decided that instead of paying the designer money for mass production, he could get kickbacks if he just gave a contract to his stooge. So, we neglected the designs which we did not appreciate because it was given free to us by the designer and hurriedly assembled the carpenter-type tracksuits. We did not even deem it fit, if we wanted tracksuits to get from Yali-Yali, our own brand made by former sprint queen, Mary Onyali. At least we would have promoted something Nigerian.”

Meanwhile, Oshonaike and Edem Offiong crashed out of Round 1 of the table tennis women’s singles event on Saturday. Oshonaike, Team Nigeria’s assistant captain, was beaten 4-2 by Adriana Diaz of Puerto Rico while Offiong lost 4-1 to Belarusian Viktoria Pavlovich.

The national U-23 football team will play Sweden in their second Group B game today in Manaus. The Nigerians lead the group with three points after Thursday’s 5-4 defeat of Japan despite arriving late to the match venue.

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Appointments: Don’t marginalise any region, Mbaka tells Buhari

Enugu Catholic priest and Spiritual Director, Adoration Ministry, Enugu State, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, on Saturday, advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to marginalise any part of the country in the appointments made by his government.

Mbaka was quoted in a statement made available to journalists by his media aide, Maximus Ugwuoke.

In the statement, which was apparently released to counter a media report that the cleric attacked the President in a recent message, Mbaka said that he only advised Buhari.

While refuting the report that he attacked President Buhari, the cleric said he only offered suggestions to the President on how to tackle the current challenges in the country, which he said were caused by the actions and inactions of previous administrations in the country.

The appointments made by President Buhari, so far, are believed to be lopsided and in the favour of the northern part of the country.

Mbaka advised President Buhari to empower those that worked for him during the 2015 presidential election.

The statement partly read, “Fr. Mbaka advised the President to be careful about how he appoints people to prominent positions so that no region would appear marginalised, as it happened in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation board and charged the President to make sure that those around him do not mislead him.”

He advised the President on human empowerment and asked him to ensure that those who worked for him (Buhari) during the election ought to be empowered.

“Fr. Mbaka merely reinstated the obvious suffering that Nigerians are facing (which even the President himself had acknowledged and sued for patience and perseverance) and advised the President on the ways to tackle it, that is, by engaging economic gurus and by listening to good advisers.

“For the purpose of clarity, granted that Fr. Mbaka stated the obvious — that there is hunger in the land — he never attributed the cause of the hunger and economic hardship bedevilling the nation to Buhari. Rather, he attributed it to the actions and inactions of the past administrations of this country.”

Mbaka’s aide, in a move that suggested an attempt to mend fences between the cleric and the Presidency, added that the message in which Mbaka reportedly attacked Buhari was followed by another one where he blamed former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party for mismanaging the economy.

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Court remands Fayose’s ally, Agbele, in prison

One of the bank tellers used in paying money into Fayose's account by his best friend, Abiodun Agbele.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has remanded an associate of Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, Mr. Abiodun Agbele, in Kuje Prison, Abuja,till Thursday when it will rule on his application for bail.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba made the order of remand afterAgbele was arraigned on 11 counts of money laundering involving the sum of N1,219,000,000 said to be part of N4,685,723,000 allegedly transferred unlawfully from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Arraigned along with Agbele were three companies, Sylvan Mcnamara Limited, De Privateer Limited and Spotless Investment Limited.

Agbele pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The prosecution, alleged that others involved in the alleged crimes, including former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, were on the run.

Other suspects said to be at large were Lt. A. O Adewale and Olalekan Ogunseye, who was said to be the sole signatory to the account of Sylvan Mcnamara Limited.

The charges preferred against the accused were said to be contrary to section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011(as amended in 2012).

The offences were said to be punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.

After the arraignment on Wednesday, Agbele’s lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), moved his client’s bail application, urging the judge to grant it in liberal terms.

The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Johnson Ojogbane, urged the court to dismiss the application.

Ojogbane urged the court to remand the accused in prison throughout the period of the trial and instead of granting him bail, the judge should rather grant an order of accelerated hearing.

Justice Dimgba fixed Thursday for ruling on the bail application

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PHOTOS: Buhari at FEC meeting today

President Muhammadu Buhari presides over the Federal Executive Council meeting today at the State House

See photos below:

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Budget padding: APC moves to save Dogara, meets Speaker, Jubrin

Speaker House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara

The All Progressives Congress has intervened in the crisis rocking the House of Representatives over alleged padding of the 2016 budget.

The APC was said to have made the move to prevent the party from being “brought to dishonour.”

The APC National Working Committee, at the party’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, separately met with the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara; and a former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jubrin.

It was gathered that the meetings were aimed at addressing the crisis and preventing the removal of Dogara.

A leader of the party, who confided in The PUNCH, said, “We are making moves to resolve the crisis. Dogara is a loyal party man.”

The national executive of the APC had, through a letter, summoned Jubrin to appear before leaders of the party at 2pm on Tuesday.

The party leadership had earlier on Tuesday met with Dogara.

In the letter by its Deputy National Chairman (North), Lawal Shuaibu, the party decried the media war between the two APC lawmakers without consulting the party for resolution.

 The letter read in part, “As a disciplined party, the constitution of our party has made adequate provisions on ways of resolving any issue among members. It behoves the party to take all necessary steps to ensure that no member of our family brings dishonour on the party.

“You are, therefore, by this invitation, expected to appear before the undersigned at the APC national secretariat on Tuesday, August 2, at 2pm.

“Kindly note that failure to and/or refusal to honour this invitation will amount to a decision you have made not to submit to the party.”

Jibrin arrived at the APC headquarters in Abuja in a Toyota Land Cruiser with number plate, BWR 768 AM, around 2.10pm and immediately went into a closed-door meeting with Shuaibu.

It was observed that the meeting was attended by the northern caucus in the party’s executive.

Other officers who attended the meeting are the National Secretary, Mai Bala Buni; and the National Vice Chairman (North-West), Inuwa Abdulkadir.

Both Jibrin and Dogara, who are at the centre of the budget-padding scandal, are from the North.

The Deputy National Chairman of the APC, Segun Oni, who was sighted around the party’s headquarters, did not attend the meeting.

The meeting, which was held in Shuaibu’s office, lasted till around 5pm.

Shuaibu, who later addressed journalists, said the meeting was a consultation among party members.

He said, “This is strictly a consultation between a very great member of the party and party officials in respect of what is going on in the House of Representatives.

 “There is nothing like passing any judgment against any member of the party; we will play our role as an umpire in this matter to see how we can restore peace and unity among our members.”

Shuaibu said there was no truth in the information that the meeting was called to discipline Jibrin.

“But when certain things go off course, the party needs to call its members to know how best to reunite them. That is exactly what we did. We heard his side of the story. We earlier heard from the Speaker,” he added.

The APC chieftain further said the meeting with Jibrin was to get “a better briefing” because the party had to be carried along as the Speaker and Jibrin were members of the APC.

“We should know directly from them what is really going on,” he added.

When he was asked if the crisis had been resolved at the meeting, Shuaibu said, “I said we are discussing with them and the discussions are not concluded.

“We will continue to consult. We are not done with them. We sat with the Speaker earlier. We just finished talking with Jibrin. If the need arises, we will have a round-table discussion with both of them.’’

Jibrin also told journalists that he and the party leaders discussed “extensively” at the meeting on the crisis in the House.

He said, “We will continue to discuss. I will continue to honour the invitation of the party, respect the party, and I am sure that whatever it is, you will know in due course.”

When our correspondent asked Jibrin why it took him so long before coming out on the alleged padding of the 2016 budget, he said, “I want to restrict my discussion to the party’s invitation.”

Jibrin, from Kano State, had on Monday submitted a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission and the Nigeria Police Force against Dogara and some leaders of the House.

A party source, who spoke to our correspondent after the meeting, lamented that the crisis in the House was embarrassing the party.

The source, who was privy to the details of the Tuesday meeting, said Jibrin was warned against seeking out-of-party ways to air his grievances with Dogara and other leaders of the House.

The source said, “Although the issue is a legislative matter, what is going on in the House of Representatives is denting the image of the APC. The party should have been invited to mediate between the warring sides rather than involving the police, the ICPC and the EFCC.”

Dogara’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Turaki Hassan, could not be reached as his telephone rang out.

A text message sent to his mobile phone at 6.01pm on Tuesday was not replied to.

Also, a National Assembly source said the two lawmakers were invited to give their individual accounts on the “budget padding” allegations.

“I believe that the next thing is for a competent party organ to look into the matter,” the source added.

Meanwhile, Jibrin earlier twitted that he had received the party’s invitation, but repeated his demand that Dogara and the three principal officers he accused of “padding” the budget should step down.

He twitted, “I am confident that the party will do the right thing by supporting our resolve to wipe out corruption in the House and direct the Speaker, Dogara; the Deputy Speaker, Lasun; the Whip, Doguwa; and the Minority Leader, Ogor, to reconvene the House immediately and step aside to face their imminent prosecution and save the House and our country from further embarrassment.”

Jibrin also attacked the Chairman, House Committee on Interior, Mr. Jagaba Adams-Jagaba, calling on the EFCC to investigate him for his past activities in the House

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OPC members storm Ogun to fight militants

NO fewer than 5,000 members of the Reformed Oodua People’s Congress on Tuesday stormed the Imushin community in Ogun State, to confront suspected militants in the area.
Our correspondent gathered that the members of the ethnic militia, who arrived in more than 100 buses and cars, came from Lagos and Ogun states.
They reportedly moved around some of the areas and visited the Olumushin of Imushin, Oba Taiwo Bamgbose, who received them outside his palace.
A palace source said the OPC members, which did not carry any weapon, were only armed with charms, which they claimed had powers.
He said, “They were over 5,000 and they filled the whole community. They carried all kinds of charms and a few of them even carried placards, protesting militant’s invasion of the South-West.
“They said they were ready to enter into the creeks to face the militants and kill them and all they needed was the permission of the traditional ruler. Some of them said they could transform to snakes and lions, once they get into the creeks.
“The traditional ruler, after thanking them for their concern, asked them to leave because he had not received authority from higher authorities to allow them fight the militants. He urged them to get approval from the government before doing anything in the community. ”
The President of the OPC group, Dare Adesope, who confirmed the visit to our correspondent on the telephone, said their presence in the community was to assure residents of their security.
Adesope said his group was incensed by the killings and kidnap of residents without any response from the government.
He explained that the members of the group had issued a 14-day ultimatum to the militants to vacate the South West, adding that the ultimatum expired on Monday.
He said, “On July 19, we issued a 14-day ultimatum to the militants to end their activities in the South-West and we said if they didn’t leave, we will challenge them and defend our people. That ultimatum elapsed yesterday (Monday).
“The recent military action against the militants might have been influenced by our ultimatum, because prior to the release, the Federal Government didn’t do anything.
“We decided to go to the community in 107 buses and some cars, to show that the Reformed OPC is still on the ground and our aim is to protect the lives and property of everyone that is residing within our area of jurisdiction.
“Our silence all this while is not an act of cowardice. It is because we believe in dialogue before action. It is wrong for anyone to be kidnapping, raping, robbing and killing our people. We say no to that and we don’t want anything like that again in Yoruba land. After today, if we hear anything again in the area, we know what to do.”
The traditional ruler, who also confirmed the visit on the telephone, appealed to the fleeing members of the 18 villages in the community to return home.
He thanked the Federal Government, the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, and the members of the Joint Task Force for the efforts aimed at restoring sanity to the area

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How Adeboye’s marriage teachings caused stir

The ongoing annual convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, on Tuesday, received enormous publicity. The publicity, however, came in a controversial manner.

The General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, in a message on marriage, stirred a widespread debate on social media, with thousands taking to the Internet to protest or support his positions on the categories of people Christians should not marry.

Adeboye, who is fondly called Daddy G.O. by members of his church, advised a congregation of bachelors and spinsters at the convention to avoid marrying certain individuals in order to enjoy their marriages.

Videos of the teachings, which were uploaded on different social media sites, received huge ‘share’.

The pastor urged bachelors to shun ladies who could not pray “non-stop” for at least an hour. He also advised them against marrying “lazy” women as well as those who could not cook.

The cooking aspect particularly caught the attention of feminists. They took protested the pastor’s remark, saying they were not supposed to be consigned to kitchens just because they were women.

Adeboye also warned ladies against accepting marriage proposals by “jobless” bachelors. He said those who could not earn incomes should not marry.

A social media activist, Asuquo Ulo, said the teachings were part of unacceptable thinking that characterised the age.

The tweeter disagreed with the cleric’s position, saying “marriage is really beyond jobs, cooking and prayers”.

As far as Chinye Onwordi, a Twitter user, is concerned, Adeboye’s advice had solved a persisting puzzle on the social media.

“Whether Nigerian ladies agree to cook when they marry or not, Adeboye has spoken the truth nobody should shy away from,” he tweeted.

One Ahmed Isah also wrote, “Adeboye, we thank you for ending this long debate. You spoke from a spiritual realm, not as a mere mortal.”

As of Tuesday evening, many sites had unveiled online polls with a view to assessing the acceptability of Adeboye’s marriage ‘prescriptions’.

In one of the videos, Adeboye advised, “Marry a prayer warrior! Don’t marry any girl who cannot pray for one hour non-stop. Don’t marry a girl who is lazy! If she is lazy when she is single, what will happen if she is married?”

In another one, he warned, “Don’t marry a man who has no job. Before God gave Adam Eve, he gave him a job. He said, ‘This is the garden, keep it.’ So when anybody comes to you and say, ‘Sister, thus saith the Lord, you are going to be the star in my firmament,’ ask him — ‘What is your job?’

“If he tells you he is a contractor, ask him to show you evidence of all the contracts he has done because the contract he is talking about is you. He wants to live off you.

“Don’t be a fool. If he hasn’t got a steady income, don’t marry him. A man is to provide for the house and not the other way round. If he has no income, he should not marry. Those who do not work should not eat. And if they can’t eat, they can’t even marry.”

Adeboye trended widely on social media platforms as the issues he raised were scrutinised by his fans and foes. The videos became the toast of members of the online community.

Adeboye’s popularity rating, by online metrics, soared. He also enjoyed a huge Google search, as bloggers dissected thousands of comments for catchy headlines for their posts.

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Mikel changes his name

Mikel Obi

Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has changed his name officially after a registration error 13 years ago.

The Nigeria international was born in Jos as John Michael Nchekwube Obinna back in 1987, starting his footballing career with Plateau United.

After two years there, Mikel moved to Lyn in Norway and then earned a switch to the Premier League with Chelsea, where he has been now for a decade.

The central midfielder has been known as John Obi Mikel for years, but he has now changed his name to Mikel John Obi, as reported by the Mirror.

The reason behind that is the word ‘Mikel’ was never actually a part of the midfielder’s name – many felt it was short for Michael. It only became a thing when the Nigerian FA mistakenly used Mikel instead of Michael on his submission form for the 2003 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

Mikel had been letting the mistake slide for 13 years, but would be hoping people could now call him by his correct name

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Stop giving excuses, cleric tells APC

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The President, First Ministry International, Lagos, Bishop Isaac Idahosa, has asked the All Progressives Congress to stop trading blame over the problems confronting the country.

The cleric said rather than blame the country’s woes on the immediate past government of the country, the party should work hard to deliver on its promise of change.

 Idahosa, however, commended the ongoing anti-corruption war, noting that it was the right step to reposition the country.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the cleric said, “All we need to do as a people is to be good followers. I support holding the Federal Government accountable so they could be on their toes. As it is just one year that the APC has been in power, Nigerians should exercise patience with President Muhammadu Buhari.

 “I just want them (APC) to stop apportioning blame and face the realities on the ground. They should give us the dividends of the change they promised.”

While appraising the President’s performance, the cleric urged the Federal Government to quickly evaluate the position of the country and communicate hope to Nigerians.

According to him, although President Buhari has good intentions to reposition the country, many people around him are misleading him

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Death toll in Adamawa herdsmen attacks hits 30

L: People killed in attacks byb herdsmen on Kodomun, Adamawa State... on Tuesday. R: Children fleeing. Photos: Hindi Livinus

The Adamawa State Police Commissioner, Mohammed Ghazzali has been criticised over his comment and handling of the Fulani herdsmen attacks on Kodomun, following the discovery of eight more corpses.

Youths from Kodomun who brought out the corpses of the slain members of the community from the bush said, the recovery of the additional bodies had raised the death toll from the attacks which started on Friday to 30.

The incident, came on the day the Adamawa State Governor, Mohammed Jibrilla, visited the paramount ruler of the area, the Hama Bata, HRH Alhamdu Teneke, and held a security meeting with him at his palace with other service chiefs in the state in attendance.

Ghazzali, who visited the area on Monday shortly after the attacks by herdsmen, had reportedly claimed no life was lost.

Ghazzali’s denial of any casualty resulting from the attacks, while addressing journalists, after the security meeting, elicited anger from those present at the palace.

Ghazzali explained that his refusal to deploy policemen to Kodomun, which had come under attacks, from Fulani herdsmen, earlier on Friday and Saturday, before that of Monday was done so as not to make him look like “taking sides”

He said, “My men were on the ground. We would not risk our men to be there just to give security to one side so that the other side will not think we have taken side with one side.

“There are two different people involved in these clashes: the herdsmen and the farmers. And we have to be very careful in handling such type of communal clashes.”

It was, however, the police commissioner’s insistence that no life was lost in the Monday attacks which sparked the uproar.

The angry youths who threatened to unleash mayhem in the aftermath of his comment were dissuaded from their action by the elders in the palace.

The monarch, who said his people had been killed in the attacks, challenged the security chiefs to visit Kodomun, to find out for themselves if indeed there were “no deaths”.

He said, “A lot of people have been killed. Today they would go and see for themselves the corpses of those slain in the attacks some of which they would find in the town and those yet to be brought in lying in the bush.”

But Martins Babale, who represented the state governor, distanced the state government from the utterance of the police commissioner, saying” This is his own opinion. His professional opinion.”

Babale said he would visit the razed community after the military might have combed the area and recovered the corpses of those  killed in the attacks.

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Mbaka attacks Buhari, says Nigerians may not vote for him in 2019

Enugu Catholic priest, and Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu State, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, has warned President Muhammadu Buhari that Nigerians will not vote for him in 2019 if he does not address the high level of hunger and suffering  in the country.

Mbaka has been one of Buhari’s most vocal supporters since he asked Nigerians to reject the incumbent, Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party during the 2015 presidential pol and predicted Buhari’s victory.

But, in a surprising turn of events, Mbaka attacked Buhari in a recent message, details of which were obtained by journalists on Tuesday night.

In the message, Mbaka noted that there was too much suffering in the country, and faulted the President for not appointing the right people.

He also accused the President of listening to the wrong advice.

The message partly read, “The issue is that Mbaka is speaking as the Spirit leads him – there is hunger everywhere.  My job is to tell leaders the truth, the landlords are crying, the tenants are lamenting, sellers are crying, buyers are lamenting – there is hunger on the streets.

“I can’t keep quiet when things are going wrong.

“I am telling the President to look around him and know those who are advising him rightly and those who are telling him that there is no trouble.

“The President should know that there is trouble – if things continue like this, in the next election, nobody will vote for him.

“Whether they like it or not, I am speaking the raw truth.

“If the President should have somebody like me and he cannot be talking with me, then there is a problem.

“There is a problem somewhere; somebody who can advise you without asking for anything and he is representing the poor masses in the country and he won’t tell you lies.

“He will praise you when you are doing well and when you are not doing well, he will look at you in the face and tell you.”

Continuing, he said, “I don’t need the President; I need God, I need the Holy Spirit, I need Jesus; there is suffering everywhere, people are suffering.

“To feed is now a problem, and an hungry man is an angry man.

“Hunger and anger will lead to danger.

“So, let him know whether he can do away with some advisers around him and bring in the people who are experts in economic revamp.

“There are people who are experts in that; let them begin to empower people, people are not empowered, they are still walking around in vicious circles, planning and planning and planning.”

Mbaka said there were  no spaces left in mortuaries across the country.

“Hunger is everywhere, many neighbours don’t eat again, many are being attacked by hunger, hunger is becoming a normal thing and there are people responsible for this.

“Mortuary and ambulance business is now thriving because many cannot afford drugs.

“In today’s Nigeria, many are becoming hawkers, who will buy from you, with what?

“Everyday, more pipelines  are being blown, the Avengers are at work and up till now, there is no solution.

“You know when certain things begin to happen, you begin to ask some questions, somebody like me will begin to ask – when will this end?

“If it continues in the next three months, there will be no money to pay salaries – the vicious effect is disastrous and when salaries cannot be paid, teachers will come home, students will stop going to school, there will be more kidnappings, more hooliganism, more armed robbery, more prostitution, immorality will be on the increase.”

He urged Buhari to sit up and stop going after the leadership of the Senate.

Mbaka equally bemoaned the continuous depreciation in the value of the naira.

“So, the President should sit up – there is a red light blinking on the country.

“The issue of Saraki and Ekweremadu, nobody wants to listen to such stories any more, whether Saraki is the President of the Senate or Ekweremadu is not this or that, the countrymen are tired of such stories.

“We need economic experts, gurus, sages that are sincere, who can come in and think about our economic revamp and judicial reformation.”

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Osun govt imposes N700 levy on each slaughtered cow

The Osun State Government on Monday announced that butchers in the state would henceforth pay N700 as levy for every cow slaughtered for sale in the state.

The announcement followed a decision reached at a meeting between the state government and Osun Cattle Butchers Association in Osogbo.

Mr Wale Adedoyin, a consultant to the state government, who represented it at the meeting, told newsmen that the levy was introduced to boost internally-generated revenue of the state.

According to him, parties at the meeting agreed that henceforth the establishment of a new slaughter slab will attract payment of N50, 000.

Adedoyin, a former commissioner for agriculture and food security in the state, added that registration of each member of the butchers association would attract N2,500 while annual renewal of registration would cost N1,000.

Adedoyin explained that the levies became necessary in order to improve on the finances of the state, adding that proceeds from the levy would also be used for provision of necessary facilities and the abattoirs.

He stated that levy was not intended to cause hardship or pains to the butchers, and appealed to them to cooperate with the government.

Also speaking, Dr Bukola Aluko, Coordinating Director, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Youth Engagement in the state, assured butchers that the government would provide facilities and support them to make their operations easier.

In their reaction to the development, Chairman and Patron of the butchers association, Alhaji Sulaiman Adebimpe and Alhaji Tiamiyu Alamu, respectively, expressed gratitude to the state for always involving them in decisions that affect the group.

They assured that their members would strive to comply with the levy directive.

(NAN

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Why we didn’t declare Niger Delta Republic – ABA

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan AFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI

Niger Delta militant group, Adaka Boro Avengers, has said it cancelled its planned declaration of a Niger Delta Republic after appeals from Ijaw leaders, including ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
A statement issued by the spokesman of the group, Edmos Ayayeibo, reiterated its determination to cripple the nation’s economy until President Muhammadu Buhari showed a sincere desire to dialogue and restructure the country.
ABA, which is also an affiliate of the dreaded Niger Delta Avengers, also warned the federal government against entering dialogue with the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta if the government wants peace in the oil-rich region.
The statement reads in part, “We adhere to the voice of our people, because our struggle is for the Niger Delta people and not for selfish reason. But this is not the end. More has yet to come. Our mission to cripple the economy of the Nigerian nation will not stop until the Nigerian government is ready to sit on a roundtable to dialogue and to restructure the Nigeria.
“We received calls from prominent leaders like Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Mrs. Ankio Briggs, Chief E. K. Clark and especially King Alfred Diete Spiff calling on the freedom fighters to abort their mission to declare Niger Delta Republic.
“Unless that, we will not stop until Nigeria becomes a zero economy. We are also saying this for the benefit of President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerian government to stop wasting their time with those greedy fellows that call themselves MEND because nothing good will come out of them rather than sabotage.
“Everything they are saying, not even one will be accomplished. We will never agree with anything they say and henceforth MEND should watch their back because we have tolerated them for a very long time.
“Enough is enough, since they want to set confusion in the Niger Delta we will start from them.”

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