HOW DAVID MARK DOUBLED NASS BUDGET AND ENTHRONED SECRECY.

By the time the curtain fell on the 7th session of Nigeria’s National Assembly in June, one of the most prominent characters of that era, who retreated backstage as a member of the 8th session (after his party became a minority), is former Senate President, David Mark.

Mr. Mark, a retired army general, would be remembered for his ignoble role in deepening and institutionalising the culture of secrecy at Nigeria’s federal legislative body.

EFCC SUMMONS JONATHAN'S SPECIAL ADVISER ON AMNESTY KINGSLEY KUKU OVER EMBEZZLEMENT.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has summoned Kingsley Kuku, a former special adviser on Niger Delta Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, for questioning.

A reliable source in the commission said that Mr. Kuku and two others are wanted by the EFCC over allegation of embezzlement and fraudulent diversion of funds running into hundreds of millions of Naira.

Details of the allegations against the former presidential aide are not immediately available, but there have been concerns that the amnesty programme of the last administration was fraught with massive corruption.

PRESIDENT BUHARI MUST NOT ABANDON AMNESTY BENEFICIARIES.

There was widespread anxiety about the fate of the Amnesty programme for former militants of the Niger Delta when Muhammadu Buhari emerged as the President of Nigeria. Given the dynamics of the election, and the fact that the programme was established by the former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) federal government under late President Umar Musa Yar’ Adua and sustained by the regime of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, people were not sure what Buhari would do with it.

Happily, the new president made an undertaking that put the fears of stakeholders to rest during his inaugural speech, when he declared that though the Amnesty Programme would end in December this year, his government would “invest heavily in the projects and programmes currently in place”.

PATIENCE JONATHAN PREVENTED FROM VIP LOUNGE OF PORT HACOURT AIRPORT.

Wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, was stopped from using the VIP lounge of the Port Harcourt International Airport, barely two months after her husband left office.

The former first lady, who was in Port Harcourt for the burial of her late Chief Security Officer (CSO), Tamuno Jacob Igbomie, who was said to have been shot dead on Airport Road, Abuja, penultimate Friday, was said to have been denied access to the VIP lounge, commonly used by dignitaries.

Staff members at the airport were said to have denied her access to the lounge on “orders from above.”

TAME FUEL SUBSIDY OR IT WILL TAME NIGERIA. - BEN MURRAY BRUCE.

If the whole idea of fuel subsidy is to pass on benefits to the poor, then we must all agree that it is not working. The benefits are going to importers of fuel, oil majors and upper and middle class Nigerians who can afford to live in the most urbanised areas of Nigeria which are the only places where fuel is still sold at the official rate.

Our people in the North-east and the Niger Delta have been buying petrol at black market prices for decades. Of what use is fuel subsidy to them? Is this not part of the reason why they sometimes feel alienated from Nigeria?

In the most recent data released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Democratic Republic of Congo is rated the poorest nation in the world with a per capita income of less than $400. But the truth is that if you isolate the North-east of Nigeria from the rest of Nigeria and you compare their per capita income to that of the Congo DRC, it will be clear that the North-east of Nigeria is the poorest part of planet earth.

PRESIDENT BUHARI UNHAPPY OVER REFUSAL OF USA TO SUPPLY ARMS TO NIGERIA TO FIGHT BOKO HARAM.

After President Barack Obama, among other top ranking United States officials lavished praise on President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigeria for three days during his US visit, the Nigerian president returned home this morning without securing an arms deal with America to help him prosecute the war against Boko Haram.

Since Buhari assumed office on May 29, Boko Haram has increased its attacks in the North-east and is reported to have occupied five local government councils in Yobe and Borno States, in addition to killing over 600 people.

The Nigerian military under former President Goodluck Jonathan, with the assistance of the armies of Chad, Niger and Cameroun, had successfully dislodged the terrorists from territories that they had previously occupied.

NASS CRISIS - 7 APC CHIEFTAINS WHOSE INFLUENCE CAN END THE CRISIS.

Despite being accused of allowing the crises rocking both chambers of the National Assembly to fester, some leading voices in the All Progressives Congress, APC, are believed to posses the magic wand needed to prevent the now rambunctious legislature from derailing

After months in which party leaders have prevaricated in the name of loyalty and indiscipline, it is expected that those, who wield influence decisively engage in trouble shooting for public good.

It is so given the obvious inability of the legislators to find a common ground thereby taking the crisis to epic proportion at the expense of the business of law making.

WHAT TOMPOLO & OTHER EX-MILITANTS WILL DISCUSS DURING THEIR EMERGENCY MEETING ON SATURDAY

Leader of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta, MEND and High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo, yesterday, summoned commanders and leaders of the various wings of the militant group to an emergency meeting, tomorrow in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

He did not state agenda of the meeting, but Tompolo, who is the Ibe-Ebidouwei of Ijaw nation, in the invitation, said the meeting, which will hold at Izon House, Yenagoa, was important.

His words, “My dearly beloved Commanders and Leaders of various wings of the Movement of the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, I greet you all. It is my pleasure to humbly invite you to a very crucial and urgent meeting.”

OIL THEFT - OUR FINDINGS ARE SHOCKING - APC

The All Progressives Congress has said it was shocked at the magnitude of cases of corruption it has so far unearthed while going through the records of the previous administration.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this in a telephone interview in Abuja, on Thursday.

He was reacting to the announcement by President Muhammadu Buhari that some officials of the immediate past administration were involved in stealing one million barrel of crude oil daily.

THE MULTI-BILLION NAIRA FUEL BAZAAR - SEGUN ADENIYI.

Apparently in a bid to stem the persistent scarcity of PMS, especially in Abuja where the product is still being sold at the official price of N87 per litre, (even if it would take hours and sometimes days to get) the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) on Tuesday announced that it had revoked the licences of three marketers allegedly involved in product diversion. But whatever the justification for the move, it is not likely going to make any difference because the incentive for diversion is high and so is the reward.

EXPLOSION - SEVERAL VANDALS PERISH IN AREPO, OGUN STATE.

A yet to be ascertained number of pipeline vandals were roasted in the wee hours of yesterday, following a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, pipeline explosion at Arepo, Ogun State.

Although an unconfirmed report put the death toll at 100, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, could not state whether any casualty was recorded, as it claimed it could not access the terrain due to the magnitude of the fire.

There were different accounts of how the explosion occurred.

20 MEN SLEPT WITH ME DURING MY INITIATION - 16 YR OLD CULTIST CONFESSES.

Hell was let loose, last week, in Oto-Owori area, Ijanikin, Lagos State, after a 16-year-old member of the famous Abogun family, made startling confessions about how she was initiated into cultism and lesbianism by the younger sister of her uncle’s wife. Parents of the victim who were shocked by the confession reportedly alerted the police after she was caught while attempting to sneak out of the house with some items demanded by her cult members.

JONATHAN'S MINISTERS WERE BEHIND OIL THEFT - THEY WILL NOT EVADE JUSTICE - PRESIDENT BUHARI.

The near future of some former ministers and top government officials appears to be behind bars as President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday confirmed that he had started receiving some documents, which showed that they were thieves.

The President vowed that the ex-ministers would be prosecuted based on the indicting documents while the proceeds of their fraud would be repatriated to government coffers from their multiple foreign accounts, which he said were opened for the purpose of laundering money.

Buhari said the documents at his disposal indicted some former ministers and other top government officials of massive fraud, including oil theft.

I NEVER MALTREATED PRESIDENT BUHARI DURING THE 1985 COUP - SAMBO DASUKI.

Immediate past National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), has sworn that he never maltreated nor took part in maltreating President Muhammadu Buhari when he, as military Head of State, was removed in a 1985 coup, as being erroneously alleged.

He said: “I always respect and dignify my seniors and those in positions of authority whether in service or after. Though a young officer, I was reluctant to be among those that arrested him. And I was not.

“I only met him afterward at Bonny Camp with Lawal Rafindadi. There is no way I could have maltreated him as being alleged in some quarters. I am glad most of the actors are still alive.”

BOKO HARAM BURNS FAMILY HOUSE OF CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF, MAJ GEN BURATAI.

Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have burnt down houses, including the family home of the Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Tukur Buratai, in his village in Borno State.

At least, two people were killed and eight injured during the attack on Buratai village on Tuesday, sources told our correspondent in Abuja.

It was learnt that the terrorists killed two auto mechanics and torched some houses during the attack on the community.

GOVERNOR AMBODE SCRAPS FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT.

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has scrapped the Finance and Administration Department in the state’s civil service, renaming it the Administration and Human Resource Department.

A circular by the Head of Service, Mrs. Shade Jaji, on Wednesday, explained that the decision was made to ensure an organised public service.

MAJE AYIDA WHO CHEATED ON HIS WIFE TOKE MAKINWA BEGS FOR FORGIVENESS.

Maje Ayida, the estranged millionaire husband of popular OAP "Toke Makinwa" has admitted to infidelity and subsequently asked for forgiveness from his wife.

This is such a touching and great move by him unlike many men who would rather prefer to remain adamant in the face of obvious wrongdoing.

We hope Toke finds a place in her heart to forgive him.

CORRUPT APC MEMBERS WILL FACE THE LAW - PRESIDENT BUHARI.

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his government will not spare any member of the All Progressives Congress as well as associates found culpable of corruption.

The President, who is currently on a four-day visit to the United States President, Barack Obama, said this during an interview with the CNN anchor, Christiane Amanpour.

“If any of my associates or party member is indicted of corruption, they cannot escape justice. There is not going to be any APC member or any close personality found guilty that would escape justice,” he said.

NICKI MINAJ & TAYLOR SWIFT IN WAR OF WORDS OVER VMA NOMINATIONS.

The 25-year-old singer and the 32-year-old rapper got into a war of words on Twitter, with the ‘Blank Space’ hitmaker initially accusing Nicki of pitting “women against each other” after the ‘Anaconda’ hitmaker admitted she felt snubbed after only receiving three nominations ahead of the upcoming awards ceremony.

Shortly after the nominations were announced on Tuesday (21.07.15), Nicki tweeted: “Hey guys @MTV thank you for my nominations. Did ‘Feeling Myself’ miss the deadline or…?

“If I was a different ‘kind’ of artist, ‘Anaconda’ would be nominated for best choreo and vid of the year as well.

LIONEL MESSI IS IN DEEP MESS - ACCUSED OF RECEIVING £2.4M FROM CORRUPT GABONESE PRESIDENT TO LAY A STONE AT A STADIUM.

Lionel Messi received at least £2.4million in cash for supporting one of the most corrupt dictators in Africa, it was claimed on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old football superstar caused outrage at the weekend when he arrived in Gabon, the former French colony, as a guest of president Ali Bongo.

Wearing Bermuda shorts and a T-shirt, and showing off his new tattoos, Messi was officially laying the foundation stones for a new stadium in the city of Port-Gentil.