PAST ADMINISTRATIONS ALLOWED DECAY OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN OIL SECTOR & ENCOURAGED SUBSIDY FRAUD.

President  Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, accused past administrations of allowing the infrastruc-ture in the oil sector to collapse to enable their cronies steal by importing refined products.

The President, who made the accusation while speaking at a meeting with the Chairman and members of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, lamented “the current situation in which Nigeria is forced to spend billions of Naira annually on alleged subsidies for petroleum products.”

A statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, quoted the President as saying that “the escalation of petroleum subsidy payments over recent years was due to the deliberate neglect of the nation’s refineries, oil pipelines and other related infrastructure to allow the importation of petroleum products and corruption to thrive.”

FG SET TO SLASH SALARIES OF LAWMAKERS.

Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, Mr. Elias Mbam, disclosed yesterday that the Commission had started the process of trimming down the pay packages of the President, Senators, members of the House of Representatives, governors and all the elected public officials to reflect current economic realities. 

Speaking with journalists after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari,  the RMAFC Chairman said that no federal lawmaker received N1 million monthly as salary, adding that their salaries would be pruned down to reflect the current economy status.

Asked whether the parliamentarians would give a nod to the idea, the Chairman said it was a constitutional mandate, which no one should argue about.

PEACE COMMITTEE AND ANTI-GRAFT WAR.

The National Peace Committee, led by former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, with the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah as its main engine room, played a very commendable role in helping to ensure we had a peaceful and successful transitional elections in 2015.

Made up of respected individuals, former national leaders, traditional rulers and religious chieftains, the Peace Committee was instrumental to the two peace accords which the two major presidential candidates in the election: Dr Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and retired General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) signed at the heat of the campaigns and elections.

The Peace Committee, buoyed by several eminent international statesmen, including Chief Emeka Anyaoku of Nigeria, former UN Secretary General, Dr Kofi Anan and others, was very busy behind the scenes and helped to make it possible for the loser of the election to congratulate the winner, and thus spare the country of the imminent bloody consequences of a disputed poll.

DRAMA AS TWO ROBBERY SUSPECTS ESCAPE FROM POLICE CELL.

Two of the robbery suspects, who were arrested while they were operating on Iju Road, in the Agege area of Lagos, have escaped from the police cell.

The three suspected members of the gang, which reportedly laid siege to a hotel and some residences of Sands Avenue, off Iju Road, had been handed over to the Pen Cinema Police Division, before two of them escaped from the cell.

It was gathered that policemen, who were on duty on the fateful day, had been arrested, while the fleeing suspects had yet to be re-arrested.

RIVERS LAWMAKERS PETITION PRESIDENT BUHARI OVER ALLEGED INTERFERENCE OF SECURITY AGENCIES IN ELECTION TRIBUNAL.

Sixteen senators and members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State on Tuesday petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over alleged interferences by security agencies in the hearing of cases before the state election petition tribunal.

The lawmakers singled out the “State Security Services” and the “Nigerian Army” as security agencies the President should call to order to forestall a possible “injustice” in the prosecution of the cases.

Among the petitioners were Senator George Sekibo and Mrs. Betty Apiafi, both of the Peoples Democratic Party.

MAN SEEKS DIVORCE OVER WIFE'S SOCIAL MEDIA SEXUAL ESCAPADES.

A businessman, Muyiwa Owolabi, has dragged his wife, Tinuola, to an Ado Ekiti Customary Court to seek dissolution of their ten-year-old marriage over “serial adultery with several men” she met on social media.

Both the petitioner and the defendant agreed on the dissolution the marriage over irreconcilable differences but the court is yet to resolve  on the custody of their two children,

Muyiwa, the Petitioner, who told the court to dissolve the union claimed that he had caught his wife with several men including his junior at secondary school.

He said Tinuola uses the social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to connect with many men who are now her “man friends and concubines.”

BANKS IN CONUNDRUM OVER $5BN DEPOSITS.

Indications emerged, yesterday, that banks in the country are now in a dilemma on what to do with an estimated $5 billion that is currently idle in their vaults. 

Banks, it was gathered, have their vaults full of dollars that they do not know how to dispose them. It is funds they can neither lend to other banks nor sell to CBN, and the only option open to them is to sell.

Bank foreign exchange officers, who spoke to Vanguard. said that as of today, no bank will buy dollar from anybody. The source said it is not for any other thing but the fact that the banks have more than enough in their vaults.

ATTACK ON JONATHAN - ADAMS OSHIOMHOLE IS A POPULAR VILLA SYCOPHANT. - ORUBEBE

The Ex-Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Peter Orubebe, Tuesday, took a swipe at the Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole over his recent criticisms of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, describing him as a villa sycophant who is willing to switch allegiance to whoever is in power.

Orubebe who lambasted Comrade Oshiomhole, while speaking with selected journalists in Abuja, further berated the governor for speaking against former president, Dr. Jonathan who he said was a great leader.

He said “Oshiomhole is an ingrate and a popular villa sycophant who is quick to switch allegiance to whomever is in power.”

LONDON POLICE ARREST ANOTHER ARIK AIR CREW WITH N105M COACAINE.

CHIKA EGWU UDENSI

A crew member of Arik Air,  Mr.Chika Egwu Udensi, was on Monday night apprehended at Heathrow Airport, London, for allegedly peddling substances, suspected to be cocaine. 

Spokesman of Arik Air, Mr. Ola Adebanji, confirmed the latest arrest.

He said the crew member was arrested by the UK Border Force in connection with alleged possession of items suspected to be banned substances.

NASS MEMBERS GET N93M RECESS ALLOWANCE AFTER SITTING FOR JUST 14 DAYS.

Senators and House of Representatives members have been paid N93m as allowance for the six weeks recess they embarked upon, Daily Trust has gathered.

The legislators had embarked on the recess on 13th August after sitting for only 14 days and without debating any bills. They are to resume on the 29th next month.

Our correspondents report that the allowance was 10 percent of the annual basic salary of the legislators as stipulated in the remuneration package for political, public and judicial office holders in Nigeria by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

(GRAPHIC PICTURES) WOMAN RUNS OVER AND KILLS HER HUSBAND AFTER HEATED ARGUEMENT.

A Lanham, Maryland woman intentionally hit her husband with an SUV Sunday afternoon, killing him, police say. 

The suspect, Araceli Alvarez-Mendoza, 37, and her husband, Fernando Fragoso-Duana, 36, got into an argument at their home on the 9400 block of Worrell Avenue, according to Prince George's County police. Fragoso-Duana then left the home and began walking in the neighborhood. 

Mendoza followed her husband in an SUV and intentionally ran him over with the vehicle, police say.

TEENAGE FEMALE SUICIDE BOMBER KILLS 6 INJURES 30 IN DAMATURU, YOBE STATE.

A teenage suicide bomber detonated an explosive device strapped to her body in the northeastern Nigerian city of Damaturu early on Tuesday, killing six people and wounding about 30, police said.

No one claimed responsibility for the blast but Islamist militant group Boko Haram has been blamed for a series of similar attacks in the region in recent weeks.

"At about 7:40 am, a female suicide bomber about 14-years old denoted an explosive device at the central Damaturu motor park. Six people were killed including the suicide bomber," police spokesman Toyin Gbadegesin said.

TREASURY SINGLE ACCOUNT - A WELCOME POLICY.

Last week the Presidency issued a directive to all Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to begin retirement of their revenues into a unified account, a Treasury Single Account (TSA) maintained by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Several state governments have also commenced similar measures.

The regime of former President Goodluck Jonathan had initiated a similar measure in December 2014 with February 2015 as the deadline, though implementation suffered due to the campaigns and general elections.

TSA, as defined by the IMF, is a unified structure of government bank accounts through which the government transacts all its receipts and payments.

FG ORDERS IMMIGRATION TO RETRIEVE DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS FROM UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS.

The Federal Government has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to retrieve forthwith all valid diplomatic and official passports from all persons who are not entitled to hold such documents.

This is contained in a statement by Mr Yusuf Isiaka,the Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Interior, on Monday in Abuja.

“The Permanent Secretary, Mr Abubakar Magaji, Federal Ministry of Interior, has directed the Nigeria Immigration Service to retrieve all valid diplomatic and official passports with immediate effect from all persons who are not entitled to hold such documents,” the statement said.

“The attention of the Federal Government has been drawn to the fact that some Nigerians who are not entitled to hold diplomatic and official passports are in possession of these documents,” it said.

According to the statement, the measure is intended to protect and promote Nigeria’s integrity in the comity of nations in addition to ensuring law and order. 

NAN

I ONLY BEAT MY WIFE WHENEVER SHE REFUSES MY SEXUAL ADVANCES.

A 40-year-old man, Salau Kehinde, has told a Customary Court in Ikorodu, Lagos, that he physically abused his wife, Shakirat, 32, whenever she refuses to have sex with him, but that he had no intention of bathing her in hot water.

Shakirat had approached the court seeking for dissolution of their 10-year old marriage, blessed with two children.

According to her, “he would beat me whenever I returned from work. He would beat me when I told him I was too tired to have sex, or for any flimsy excuse. I want this court to dissolve our marriage and grant me custody of our children.”

IKORODU BANK ROBBERY SUSPECTS SUE POLICE IG FOR N5MILLION.

The four suspects paraded in connection with the recent bank robbery in Ikorodu, Lagos State, have dragged the Inspector General of Police before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, saying that their alleged confessional statements given out to journalists, was extracted from them behind their lawyer. 

The four suspects had reportedly confessed to playing different roles in the robbery while three Sport Utility Vehicles allegedly bought from the proceeds of the robbery were recovered from them.

The suspects – Agbojule Bright, Promise Abiwa, Monday Omoboye and Monday Ikuesan, were on July 6, 2015, paraded by the police in connection with the robbery of the Ipakodo branches of First  and Zenith Banks in Ikorodu, where an 18-man gang, which they allegedly belonged to, made away with about N80 million on June 24, 2015.

LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT REMOVES FASHOLA'S BUDGET EXPENDITURE FROM BUDGET.

The Lagos State Government has removed the list of contracts awarded under the administration of former Governor Babatunde Fashola.

The list which was published on the website of the state’s Public Procurement Agency, www.lagosppa.gov.ng, stated that Fashola’s administration spent N78.3m on his personal website, www.tundefashola.com, in 2014.

The list further stated that Fashola spent N139m on the drilling of two boreholes at the Lagos House, Ikeja.

PLATEAU GOVERNOR, SIMON LALONG MEETS WITH PRESIDENT BUHARI TO PLEAD FOR SUSPENDED IMMIGRATION BOSS.

GOVERNONR LALONG

Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong yesterday met President Muhammadu Buhari on the suspension of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), David Parradang.

Parradang was suspended last Friday and directed to handover to the Deputy Comptroller-General, Martin Abeshi.

The suspended Immigration boss, who was seen at the Presidential Villa in company of the governor, however, kept away from reporters.

NJC QUERIES OSUN JUDGE OVER ALLEGATIONS OF HUSBAND SNATCHING.

JUSTICE FOLAHANMI OLOYEDE

The National Judicial Council has issued a query over allegation of amorous scandal against a judge in the Osun State judiciary, Justice Olamide Oloyede, who initiated a petition calling for the removal of the state Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola.

The NJC issued the query dated July 28, 2015 and with reference number, NJC/S.29/HC.OS/16/1/55, against Justice Oloyede upon a petition by a mother of four, Mrs. Emily Richard-Obire, who accused the judge of cohabiting with her (Richard-Obire’s) husband.

Oloyede came to prominence recently after she submitted a petition to the Osun State House of Assembly calling for the removal of Aregbesola on the grounds of his alleged financial misappropriation.

NYESOM WIKE , THE PRAYING GOVERNOR.

There is no doubt that the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has portrayed himself in recent times as a governor that believes so much in prayers as there is hardly any Sunday that the Ikwerre-born politician is not seen among congregations of different Christian denominations.

Ordinarily, clerics would not have noticed Wike as a man that has a penchant for going to church to pray, but because he occupies a position of authority, he is always the cynosure of all eyes any time he is in church.

Before the heat of the general election in March and April 2015, the governor’s level of appearances in churches was not as high as it is now.