BUHARI'S ANTI-CORRUPTION CAMPAIGN IS MEANT TO SHIELD HIS OBVIOUS FAILURE IN DELIVERING ELECTORAL PROMISES - FAYOSE.

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has taken a swipe at the Federal Government’s anti-corruption stance, describing it as mere noise-making, witch-hunt and diversionary tactic to hoodwink the public into overlooking the seeming failure of the government to deliver on its electoral promises.

The governor said; “If President Muhammadu Buhari knows exactly where the stolen funds are kept and who looted the funds, he does not need all these public announcements. Rather, he should make public names of the looters and bring back the purported stolen funds from  the locations he has identified. It is when he is able to bring back the money that he should make announcements of recovered funds.”

BUKOLA SARAKI'S VISIT TO MAIDUGURI - TENTATIVE FIRST STEPS TOWARDS 2019 PRESIDENCY.

 On Monday this week, Bukola Saraki led a team of his closest senate collaborators on a visit to Maiduguri. Any rookie political analyst could have seen through the stage-managed trip, given the near-presidential halo around it, with hands pumping, photo ops with IDPs and a visit to the Shehu of Borno. On Tuesday morning, most newspapers carried a syndicated picture of the ‘august visitor’ waving to the IDPs. Never before in the history of Nigeria’s transition to civil rule since 1999, have we had a senate president determined to seize the public space like Bukola Saraki.

Soon after he controversially    snubbed his party to emerge, he began to hold court, receiving visitors, issuing statements and for all intents and purposes, wrestling limelight with Muhammadu Buhari, elected as President, with the executive powers that go with it. But determined to defy the controversy around his emergence, Bukola Saraki is seizing political territory and desperately attempting to control the space of public perception as much as possible.

BUHARI'S VISIT TO USA ATTRACTED DIRECT INVESTMENT WORTH N2.7TN.

An estimated N2.7 trillion ($13.6 billion) worth of direct investment is part of the immediate benefits accruing from President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent state visit to the United States, the Presidency claimed yesterday.

The presidency also affirmed that the visit cost the Nigerian treasury less than N220 million contrary to assertions in some sections of the media. It further explained that President Buhari’s son, Yusuf, did not receive any estacode for the trip even as it contended that great savings were made by members of the delegation against previous visits.

The five governors who were in the delegation, the presidency said, paid their way while permanent secretaries and other senior government officials only received their entitlements.

NO PLANS TO SCRAP NYSC - PRESIDENT BUHARI.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said that the National Youth Service Corps was still relevant for national integration and unity.

To this end, he had pledged his administration’s commitment to take all necessary actions in maintaining the programme.

President Buhari gave the assurance after receiving a briefing from officials of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development led by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Rabi Jimeta.

JACK WILSHERE'S INJURY WOES CONTINUES, SET TO BE OUT FOR 8 WEEKS.

Jack Wilshere is set for another heartbreaking long-term lay-off after it emerged his latest injury is worse than initially feared.

In a devastating blow to the Arsenal and England midfielder, the latest scans on his injured ankle have shown up a suspected hairline fracture.

Arsenal expect to make a final diagnosis by the end of the week, but their best possible scenario is that the injury will rule Wilshere out for six to eight weeks.

DR. KACHIKWU SACKS EIGHT NNPC GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS.

The eight Group Executive Directors (GED) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, have been relieved of their appointment in the corporation.

A source in the NNPC said the GEDs of the corporation have been replaced with new GEDs.

The GEDs who were relieved of their duties are: Mr. Ian Udoh, Group Executive Director, Refining & Petrochemicals, Mr. Adebayo Ibirogba, Group Executive Director, Engineering and Technical; Dr David Ige, Group Executive Director, Gas& Power and Dr. Attahir Yusuf, Group Executive Director, Business Development.

Others are: Dr.Dan Efebo, Group Executive Director, Corporate Services; Mr. Bernard Otti, Group, Executive Director, Finance & Accounts

OIL SPILLAGE - PRESIDENT BUHARI ORDERS IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION OF UNEP REPORT ON OGONI CLEAN-UP.

President Mohammadu Buahri has given approval for the cleaning up of Ogoni land dented with oil spillage.

The presidential directive followed the report of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) on the environmental restoration of Ogoniland.

President Buhari also approved the compositions of the Governing Council and Board of Trustees of Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) which were majorly facilitated by the recommendations of the Executive Director of UNEP, the UNEP Special Representative for Ogoniland, Permanent Secretaries of the Federal Ministries of Environment and Petroleum Resources, and other stakeholders, including the amendment of the Official Gazette establishing the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) to reflect a new governance framework on the project.

SARAKI & CO. IN TROUBLE AS INSPECTOR GENERAL CONFIRMS FORGERY OF SENATE ORDER.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, has asked a federal high court in Abuja to dismiss a suit filed by Senator Gilbert Nnaji (PDP/Enugu East), seeking to stop the police from investigating the alleged forgery of the 2015 Senate Standing Order.

Responding to Nnaji’s suit on Tuesday, August 4, through a counter-affidavit, Arase pointed out that no court of law has powers to stop the police force from performing its statutory functions of investigating crimes.

According to the IG’s counsel, David Abuo, investigating the allegation of forgery in the Senate can only strengthen the integrity of the upper legislative house and its leadership, 

EFCC ARRAIGNS STERLING BANK STAFF FOR STEALING N27M BELONGING TO A CUSTOMER.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Monday 3rd August 2015, arraigned one Bawa Momodu before Justice I.E Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on a 16-count charge bordering on forgery, uttering and stealing to the tune of N27million. The petitioner, Sterling bank Plc, alleged that Momodu, a former staff of the bank, stole about N27m from the account of one of its customers. The accused allegedly forged the signature of the said account holder, and fraudulently withdrew the monies from the bank. 

Investigations further revealed that the said amount was transferred to the Sterling Bank account of one Emilia Ugwandu, who is now at large, in a bid to hide the source of the stolen funds. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.

THERE IS NOTHING LIKE BUNKERING, STEALING IS STEALING - OBASANJO

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday identified bunkering and vandalism as the “most challenging problems’’ that confronted his eight-year tenure as Nigeria’s President.

Obasanjo made the remark at his Hill top residence in Abeokuta when he received Mr Ade Abolurin (rtd), the former Corp Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC).

He said that in his bid to effectively tackle vandalism, he ensured that he institutionalised the NSCDC through an Act of Parliament.

THE CLOUD AROUND INEC BOSS "HAJIYA AMINA ZAKARI".

Hajiya Amina Zakari, the Acting National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is still in the news. Her historic appointment made her the first woman to take the helms of the Commission. The appointment is, however, steeped in much controversy.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on June 30 2015, sidestepped Ambassador Ahmed Wali, the National Commissioner nominated by the immediate past substantive National Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to appoint Zakari, another National Commissioner, as the “acting” National Chairman.

The appointment was denounced by many political stakeholders, especially the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which alleged cronyism and nepotism on the part of the president. The party argued that Zakari is a close relation of the president.

TEXAS FATHER IMPRISONED FOR LIFE AFTER FATHERING HIS DAUGHTER'S CHILD & ABUSING 2 OTHER UNDERAGE GIRLS. #SAYNOTORAPE.

A North Texas man has been sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole after being found guilty of sexually abusing several children and impregnating his underage daughter.

Danny Richard Minor, 40, of The Colony, was convicted Thursday on five counts of child sex abuse. 

Prosecutors said that, from 2002 to 2009 while living in Plano, north of Dallas, Minor molested two of his own children as well as an unrelated child.

One of the victims came forward about the abuse in 2009, however the investigation was stalled due to 'conflicting statements', according to the Collin County District Attorney's Office.

SEX WORKERS IN ABEOKUTA HOLD CANDLELIGHT PROCESSION FOR 2 COLLEAGUES MURDERED BY RITUALISTS.

There was mild drama in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Monday night, as scores of commercial sex workers staged a candlelight procession in honour of their colleagues, who were allegedly killed by suspected ritualists, weekend.

Dressed in black apparels, the sex workers, who stormed the state secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, wailed as they mourned their colleagues.

One of the dead, who was simply identified as Sitira, was found dead at a refuse dump site at Olomoore junction in Abeokuta on Sunday morning.

#POLICEBRUTALITY - HOW OFFICERS OF NPF BEAT AN EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANT WOMAN & KILLED THE BABY.

THE PREGNANT VICTIM- ELEKWACHI

Starring vacantly as if in a daze, she beckoned with a wave from her hospital bed. The gesture was directed at Vanguard Features, VF, reporter, who stood a few metres away in the middle of the hospital’s expansive ward.

Her fixed attention soon gave way to consternation when it became obvious that the writer was being denied access to her by the hospital staff because he is a journalist. ‘’Sir, we are sorry you can’t see her.

You have to be taken to a senior person who may give you the needed clearance to see her,’’ a staff in the ward told VF. On that note, VF was led out by a female employee, while the patient he had come to see, looked downcast.

JONATHAN'S N9.2BN STOVE CONTRACTOR DRAGS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO COURT.

The contractor handling the N9.2billion worth of clean cook stoves and wonder bags awarded by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan has dragged the Federal Government to court.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Fatima Mede, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Tuesday shortly after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari of the ministry’s activities inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Mede said the contractor approached the court to order the government not to terminate the contract following the emergence of the present administration.

THE DEBTORS GANG - MRS OIL & GAS OWES FCMB N6.2BN.

The Central Bank of Nigeria-initiated name and shame campaign of banks’ delinquent debtors gained further momentum on Wednesday as First City Monument Bank Limited and Ecobank Nigeria published their lists.

The lists have the names of popular companies, whose directors are prominent Nigerians appearing among the high non-performing loan defaulters.

MRS Oil & Gas, a major player in the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry, topped FCMB’s list of delinquent debtors with a N6.2bn non-performing loan. The list has 86 names with a combined bad debt of N17.11bn.

PRESIDENT BUHARI SACKS NNPC BOSS, APPOINTS "DR. KACHIKWU" AS NEW GMD.

Dr. Emmanuel Kachikwu

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday relieved Dr. Joseph Dawha of his appointment as the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President has subsequently appointed Dr. Emmanuel Kachikwu as Dawha’s replacement.

Kachikwu, until his new appointment, was the Executive Vice Chairman and General Counsel of Exxon-Mobil (Africa).

THE NAIRA, THE CBN & THE PRICE MECHANISM.

The Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) decision, last week, to bar 41 local business lines from domestic foreign exchange markets violates two basic administrative principles.

First, it appears to punish economic activity, which only recently were the preserve of perfectly responsible citizens. Second, in consequence, it would divert scarce central banking resources away from the more important remit of ensuring price stability, to administrative duties policing the foreign exchange markets in search of foreign exchange markets’ scofflaws.

At first blush, the arguments for this intervention appear very strong. After oil prices plummeted in the global markets mid-2014, the Nigerian economy has struggled. With crude oil export earnings accounting for a sizeable share of government revenues, this straitened circumstance has shown up in a couple of provincial governments’ inability to meet staff salaries.

ABIKE DABIRI'S FIRM & OTHERS OWE BANKS N143.81BN.

Nigerian Deposit Money Banks on Monday continued with the policy of naming and shaming their delinquent debtors with further publication of the names of firms and their directors whose loans have become non-performing for more than one year.

While nine banks published the names of the loans defaulters on Monday, four banks released the lists of their chronic debtors, owing a total of N143.81bn, on Tuesday.

The four banks are First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Access Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc and Unity Bank Plc.

BEFORE THE BAIL OUT FUNDS ARE DIVERTED.

One of the earliest demands placed before President Muhammadu Buhari, even before he was sworn-in, was a request for financial bailout of states which could not pay their workers’ salaries. It was championed by the governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State.

After initially balking, Buhari got the National Economic Council (ECA), through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Ministry of Finance (FMoF), to package a comprehensive bailout fund totalling over 1.2 trillion Naira. The funds were extracted from the Excess Crude Account (ECA), proceeds from the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) operations, a CBN special intervention fund and a debt relief package for highly indebted states to enjoy reduced debt service costs.