Some electricity consumers, on Wednesday in Lagos State decried what they termed 'arbitrary billing' by the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company for the month of August.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews that coded billing by the company was 400 per cent higher than what they charged in July.

Mr Johnson Oladapo, a resident of Mafoluku in Oshodi Area of Lagos, said that the present bill by company did not reflect what he consumed in August.

Oladapo also described the August billing as clear case of extortion by the company and urged it to recall the outrageous bill.

"In June, I received a bill of N3,700 for my two-bedroom flat, in July they brought N7,400 and the August bill currently stood N27,500.

"What is the parameters they are using to billing consumers? The management of the company should as a matter of urgency recall all bills sent out from the month of August because the billing did not reflect what we consumed," he said.

Mr Folorunsho Aremu, a landlord at Abeokuta Street, Ilasamaja, said that he received N40,590 bill for the month of August.

Aremu said that he went to Oshodi Business Unit of the company at Okota area of Lagos to complain about the arbitrary billing but was told by the official there to go and pay the bill.

"Their staff at Okota said that since my meter was not working, I was on coded billing. He told me that they used one figure for all of us in that place and I have to pay that amount.

"My monthly salary is not up to N40,000, where will I get money to pay that huge amount of money?’’ Aremu said.

He said that the official of the company had disconnected him from their electricity pole because he could not pay the bill.

Mrs Alice Kolawole, a frozen food trader at Ikotun market, wondered why the company should bill her N45,000 for one month when she hardly used electricity in her shop.

Kolawole urged the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to overhaul the nation’s electricity billing system and stop crazy billing.

Another consumer from Arowojobe Street, Oshodi, Mr Folorunsho Kuti, urged the company to accelerate the distribution of prepaid meters to their consumers.

"For the past three years, the company has promised to distribute the meters but they have not. They have continued to enjoy coded billing of their consumers who are not on functional meters.

"Going to their unit in my area did not help my case because the officers there said I should pay the August bill of N30,000 for my three-bedroom flat.

"I do not have a factory in my house and I wonder why these people give monthly bills of between N25,000 and N30,000," Kolawole said.

Mrs Franca Okorie, a resident of Amuwo-Odofin in FESTAC Town, urged NERC to sanction the company for their inadequacies.

Okorie said that sanction would reduce the issuance of coded billing and make them to accelerate the installation of prepaid meters.

Mr Pekun Adeyanju, Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs of the company, urged the affected consumers with outrageous bills to visit any of their 10 commercial units for harmonisation of their complains.

Adeyanju said the unit was responsible for billing of their consumers and should be able to resolve the bills.

He also pleaded with electricity consumers under the zone to exercise patience, stressing that the installation of prepaid meters in the zone was ongoing.

LordOfTheWeed:

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#PleaseFreeOurMj [/size]

The Chairman of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Captain Nogie Meggison, on Wednesday, raised the alarm over the danger in the sale of kerosene as aviation fuel to domestic airlines in the country by oil marketers.

Aviation fuel is also known the aviation parlance as Jet A1.

Raising the alarm at a one-day breakfast meeting organised by Aviation Round Table (ART) in Lagos State, Meggison alleged that major oil marketers had been selling kerosene as aviation fuel to the operators which he said affected the performances of the engines in many of the aircraft flying around the country.

Consequent upon this, the airline chief disclosed how the International Air Transport Association (IATA) had sent a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) coming into Nigeria, warning them to beware of aviation fuel being sold in Nigeria.

According to him, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had already been informed of the development.

While lamenting that the Nigerian aviation fuel was one of the most expensive in the world, Megisson declared: “Aviation fuel is an additional challenge for operators in the country.

"Nigeria has the most expensive fuel for Jet A1 in the world. Warri refinery was producing Jet A1 till the 1990s until it stopped working. The availability of Jet A1 would make other airlines to come around for fueling in Nigeria.

“Also, the Value Added Tax (VAT) collected from airlines is the only mode of transportation being charged VAT today by the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) at the point of sales as against the 21 days stipulated by the constitution.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Arik Air, Sir Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide, has accused the Ministry of Aviation officials of corrupt practices.

To put an end to the corrupt activities of the ministry officials which he said has been the bane of the sector, Arumemi has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to carry out forensic audit of the entire aviation agencies and the ministry.

While blaming the civil servants to be responsible for the sorry state of the Nigerian aviation industry, the Arik Airline chief accused the ministry of giving undeserved frequencies to several international airlines at the expense of the local carriers.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested an official of the Ministry of Defence over a contract fraud involving $95, 000.

An operative of the EFCC, who confided in our correspondent on Tuesday, said that operatives were still grilling the suspect, identified as Michael (surname withheld), as of the time of filing this report.

It was gathered that the Michael, a Level 9 personnel of the Ministry of Defence, who allegedly answers the alias John Bawa, defrauded a Colorado, United States-based company of the $95, 000 by promising to facilitate the supply of three military helicopters to the ministry.

The MoD official was said to have released a budgetary provision of N12.6bn in the 2015 Budget for the acquisition of three military helicopters for the MoD as a bait get to the attention of the Americans.

The source said Michael then told the Americans to pay $95,000 as facilitation fee to qualify for the bid for the procurement of the helicopters.

It was stated that the American firm paid the facilitation fee of $95, 507.41 in five tranches.

The civil servant was said to have presented fake documents to the company to facilitate the payment of the money into his account with a new generation bank.

They were said to have paid $21, 500 at first and later credited the ministry personnel’s account with $1100, $31,000, $1600 and $40,307 thereby bringing the total t0 $95,507.41.

The operative said that the US-based company became suspicious when the suspect demanded for additional facilitation fee without justification.

It was stated that the company’s officials contacted the EFCC to intervene when it became clear that the MoD personnel had swindled them.

It was gathered that operatives assigned to the case arrested the suspect, who is being interrogated.

The source said, “An official of the Ministry of Defence is being grilled for defrauding an American firm, based in Colorado, of the sum of $95, 000.

The MoD personnel who gave his name as Michael (surname withheld), provided a piece of information he extracted from the 2015 Defence Budget to the Americans to commit the fraud.

Godswill Akpabio, the former governor of Akwa Ibom state, has been flown out of Nigeria purportedly to receive medical treatment following the car accident he was involved in.

Senator Akpabio was moving in a convoy of vehicles towards the City Gate in Abuja when his vehicle ran into another car. The accident occurred on Monday, August 31.

The Punch provides update that Akpabio and his five aides were spotted leaving the Abuja airport on board a private jet. The information was said to have been disclosed by sources at the airport.

According to the information obtained, in a fresh development the politician, looking physically fit, and his convoy arrived at the General Aviation Terminal, local wing.


One of the sources narrated:

“He (Akpabio) was at the GAT local wing of the airport and one of the tarmac buses was used to convey him to his aircraft. He left around 20 minutes to 1pm.

“The flight conveying him on the trip taxied to the international terminal from where it took off. The former governor travelled with his own private flight and had about five persons who accompanied him on the trip. He looked physically okay, although some of the men with him said he might receive medical attention abroad due to the car crash he was involved in on Monday.”
However, the official information is yet to be provided on the matter.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) has set up N50 million Whistle-blowing Fund in support of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade.

President of the institute, Chief Olufemi Deru, said this to State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Buhari in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.

He explained that the fund would be earmarked for the protection members who exposed corrupt practices in the society.

"We are into integrity and accuracy and we treasure accountability. So, we have like minds.

"I'm so grateful to the president for giving us time to articulate our paper and it was so interesting. I really thank him. And I also want to say that ICAN is the voice of business.

"Accountability is our business and we uphold the tenets of transparency and we must be transparent in what we do.

"We also have the whistle-blowing fund so that anybody who misbehaves and they want to penalise our member, we have N50 million set aside to fight such course so that our people can work and be transparent and be unbiased."

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, a member of ICAN, who also spoke to correspondents, saluted the leadership style of Buhari as he marked 100 days in office on Saturday.

According to him, President Buhari has come up with moral leadership in the last 100 days and that is what is needed to fight corruption in the country.

"What President Muhammadu Buhari has come up with in the last 100 days is about credibility and integrity for those of us who are in public office.

"Nobody is judging anyone; what we have seen since May 29 is about strong leadership that had shown direction to all Nigerians.

"The mantra of such leadership that is being reflected by the president is what we are seeing in other states. Everybody is beginning to feel that they must obey the rule of law.

"All revenue agencies are now paying to a single account and that makes everyone to be accountable."

The Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari, to invite suspected looters of the country’s treasury for talks instead of castigating them publicly.

Okogie told The PUNCH that it was also cheaper to recover loot through dialogue than charging suspected public fund thieves to court.

“I agree with the National Peace Committee that the President should tread softly and should set criteria that he is going to use. Corruption is endemic in Nigeria. That is why they are asking for caution: ‘Look at it properly,’” he said.

The Archbishop Emeritus, who urged President Buhari to invite those suspected to have looted government treasury “to speak to their conscience,” warned that it would be difficult for the government to retrieve the loot as the suspects would use their financial resources to create legal hurdles for their prosecutors.

He said, “People like that, when they go to court, they don’t look right and left before they do things. If I have a man like that and I know he has the money, I will weigh the options; ‘will it profit the nation if I take this man to court. If I take him to court, he is going to get a lawyer. The lawyer will be employed with part of the money I am looking for.

“The lawyer will now start to ask for adjournments and all what not. I may not get this money until after four years. And the judge too, in the mean time, is getting (part of the loot); you will not know. He won’t just adjourn anyhow.

“The lawyer will invite his brother (the judge) to come and get part of the cake until half of it will be gone. We have to look at the issue from that angle. And you may end up getting nothing.”

Okogie urged the President to start his anti-graft war by “sanitising and purifying” the judiciary first.

“At least, you will know that three-quarters of the place is tight, and then you can start (the probe),” he added.

The fiery cleric, who decried the spate of moral decadence in the society, stated that it was the responsibility of the family to bring up the child well.

He lamented that parents were no more disciplined as before, saying, “These days, they don’t care anymore. That is not right; that is not how they were brought up.”

Okogie attributed the increasing spate of corruption in the country to declining moral upbringing of children.

He said, “Look at the probe that is going on now, for example; how can one person manage to get (steal) one-point-something billion; not even million but billion, and very soon you will hear of trillions? Where did he get it from? That is how it is going on, and he is from a family.

“And if his conscience worried him, he will run to his pastor to say ‘I want to pay tithe — 10 per cent; this is my tithe.’ The pastor collects the tithe. Seeing that it is huge money, the pastor will ask him, ‘what can I do for you?’ ”

Judge frowns at Senate leaders’ conduct

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu and three others Monday in Abuja shunned the resumed hearing of a suit seeking their sack.

Although it was not mandatory for Saraki, Ekweremadu and the other defendants in the suit to attend proceedings in person, they were required be represented by their lawyers.

Justice Ademola, who was uncomfortable that none of the defendants was represented in court, noted that the choice of Monday as the hearing date was with the consent of lawyers to the parties to the suit.

The judge, following the decision by plaintiffs’ lawyer, Mamman Osuman (SAN) to withdraw his motion for interlocutory injunction, struck out the motion.

Justice Ademola agreed with Osuman that the motion, which sought to restrain the Senate leadership from constituting adhoc committees, has been overtaken by events, and that the prayers contained in the motion were similar to those contained in the plaintiffs’ ex-parte application which Justice Kolawole earlier refused to grant.

The judge, whose time as the vacation judge will end soon, said he will return the case file to the court’s Chief Judge for reassignment at the end of the court’s vacation.

Other defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/651/2015, are the National Assembly, the Clerks of the National Assembly and the Clerk of the Senate.

Senators Abu Ibrahim, Kabir Marafa, Ajayi Boroffice, Olugbenga Ashafa and Suleiman Hunkuyi are the plaintiffs.

It is their contention that the election of Saraki and Ekweremadu as President and Deputy President was invalid on the ground that the Senate Standing Orders 2015 used for the election was a forged document.

The plaintiffs argued that since the Senate Standing Order 2011, which was the valid Senate Rules as at the proclamation of the 8th Senate on June 9, was not known to have been validly altered before the election, the 2015 Rules could not be said to be a legitimate document.

They stated, in a supporting affidavit, that the Senate Standing ‎Orders 2015 was “contrived” from the amendment of the 2011 version of the Orders without following its (the 2011 edition’s) relevant provisions and those of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The plaintiffs argued that the said amendment was in breach of the “prescriptive procedures” stipulated by the extant provisions of section 60 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and Rule 110(1), (2), (3), (4) and (5) of the Senate Standing Orders 2011 (as amended).

They therefore prayed the court for the following reliefs:

*A declaration that the Senate Standing Order 2011(as amended) is the proper, valid, constitutional and subsisting Rules/Standing Orders of the 8th Senate.

*A declaration that the Senate Standing Order 2015(as amended), not being a product of any legitimate amendment pursuant to the extant provisions of Rule 110 of the Senate Standing Orders 2011 (as amended), is invalid, illegal, unconstitutional.

*A declaration that the election of the 1st and 2nd defendants as the President and Deputy President of the Senate of the 8th Senate pursuant to the Senate Standing Orders 2015 and contrary to the provisions of Rules 3(3)(e) and (k), Chapter II of the Senate Standing Orders 2011, is illegal and unconstitutional

*An order setting aside the purported election of the 1st and 2nd defendants as Senate President and Deputy Senate President of the 8th Senate; an order setting aside the Senate Standing Orders 2015 and an order directing the 8th Senate to elect its presiding officers in accordance with the provisions of Section 54 of the Constitution and Rules 3(3) (e) and (k) of the Senate Standing Orders 2011.

There is a “sudden influx” of Boko Haram members in Lagos, while the sect’s cells are now present in Plateau, Gombe and Enugu states as well, the department of state services (DSS) revealed on Sunday.

According to the service, the spread of the insurgent group to the south is due to the intense pressure being put on them in the northeast of the country.

The state police also revealed that some of the sect’s commanders had been rounded up in Lagos and Enugu.

“In line with the Department of State Services’ (DSS) re-strategised counter-terrorism measures to combat the menace of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, the service has continued to make significant breakthroughs in this direction,” it said through Tony Opuiyo, its acting spokesman.

“This followed the rounding-up of notable commanders and frontline members of the notorious group from different parts of the country. It should be noted that the group’s new pattern of movement and spread is necessitated by the pressure being put on them in their core areas of strength in the north east.

“Consequently, a number of them have been arrested in Lagos, Kano, Plateau, Enugu and Gombe States between 8th July and 25th August, 2015. Of particular note was the arrest on 8th July, 2015 in Gombe State of those responsible for the coordination and execution of the suicide attacks in Potiskum, Kano, Zaria and Jos.”

The DSS said one of the suspects Usman Shuaibu revealed that he coordinated the attacks under reference with the sum of N500,000, which was provided by his Amir, one Isa Ali.

“He claimed that the said Isa Ali has links to the leader of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau, from where he collects monies to fund operations undertaken by their Markaz. Also, he revealed that he has participated in several Boko Haram attacks, including the attacks at Gwoza divisional police station in 2014.

“Shuaibu admitted being the leader of the team of nine sect members that was dispatched from Sambisa forest to carry out the attacks. He disclosed that four out of the nine of them were used as suicide bombers in executing all the (suicide) attacks.”

DSS said the arrest of Usman Shuaibu aka Money and the core members of his cell, stemmed the spate of bombings by the extremist sect.

“It would be recalled that Money and his group were arrested on their way to Bauchi State where they had planned to execute another heart-rending bomb attack and this was frustrated by the arrest,” it said.

“Furthermore, the sudden influx of Boko Haram members into Lagos State points to the determination of the sect to extend its nefarious terrorist activities to the state and in fact, other parts of the country. The arrest of these confessed terrorist elements has however helped in no small measure to avert devastating attacks in the area. However, the service is making efforts to conclude its investigations and commence prosecution of the suspects.

“Drawing from the above, the DSS reiterates its avowed determination to work with other stakeholders in the fight against terror and other forms of criminality in our country. Citizens and residents are therefore called upon to rise to the occasion by volunteering useful information to the Service and relevant security agencies.”

The immediate past governor of Rivers State, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has disowned a report which alleged that he was disappointed by President Muhammadu Buhari over the appointment of a Secretary of the Government of the Federation (SGF).
The insisted he never spoke to any media organization .
In a statement released by the former governor’s media office, he described the story published by an online blog as a tissue of lies, ridiculous and meaningless.
He said he holds the media in high esteem but may soon be forced to take action against those who bring the profession of journalism to disrepute by their deliberate falsehood and malicious reports.
The statement reads in full: “The attention of former governor of Rivers State Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has been drawn to a story with the caption SGF: Buhari Disappointed Me – Amaechi”, published by a certain “Savinggracereporters.com”.
“The story which is ridiculous as it is meaningless is a figment of the writer’s imagination and sadly flouts all the basic rules of journalism biz: fairness, accuracy and balance. This story like so many others like it is a tissue of lies and fit only for the trash-can.


“Since after leaving office and with the successful delivery of the change agenda to Nigerians,
“Former Governor Amaechi has been enjoying a well deserved rest. He hasn’t found any need to grant any interviews to any journalist or blogger and so couldn’t have spoken to savinggracereporters.
“Rt. Hon Amaechi holds the media in high esteem but may soon be forced to take action against those who bring the profession of journalism to disrepute by their deliberate falsehood and malicious reports.
“For the sake of decency and ethical conduct, Rt. Hon. Amaechi therefore demands that the said savinggracereporters immediately retract the mischief they have on their website and apologize to their readers for their unprofessional conduct.
“In this era of reformation and restoration, it is important that everyone embraces propriety and decorous conduct to enable every segment of our country join the change train.”

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a 14-year old boy suspected to be spying for the Boko Haram terrorists at the Nnmadi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.
The state security outfit in a statement by Tony Opuiyo of the Public Relations Unit of the Service said that arrest was carried out on August 24, 2015, in liaison with Aviation Security at the airport.
He said a 14-year-old arrested confessed that he was planted by one Boko Haram terrorist who is now at large to gather information and pass same to him.
“In the process, a fourteen (14) year old Sulaiymon ABDULRAMAN (a.k.a Sunday AJAYI), of Kogi State was apprehended. ABDULRAMAN has disclosed among others that he infiltrated the airport with the assistance of one Dauda SADIQ (a.k.a PETER) who is presently at large.

“ABDULRAMAN further revealed that Dauda SADIQ directed him to spy on the installation and pass to him information in respect of travelers’ movement including passenger screening, boarding procedures and other processes in the departure and arrival halls.
“With this knowledge, the Service is working closely with major Aviation stakeholders especially the Aviation Security Department to forestall any possible attack and to ensure adequate security at the airports. This is aside other measures which have been put in place to ensure protection of lives and property across the country,” Opuiyo stated.
The DSS therefore, enjoined members of the public to remain vigilant and patriotic by being security conscious at all times.
Also, “the public is urged to report all issues and persons of suspicion to the nearest security agency. The public is further enjoined to assist with information that could be useful in stamping out insecurity with a view to making Nigeria safe,” the statement reads further.

Former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi has refused to appear before the judicial commission of inquiry probing his administration’s sale of valued public assets.

Amaechi’s government had spent over N33.9 billion from the initial N50 billion earmarked for the entire phase one of the controversial monorail project.

The original scope of the monorail project is 21.7 kilometers and valued at Two hundred and fifty million Euros (€250m).

The commission had invited Amaechi to come and explain his role in the contract and other related allegations.

The Integrity Group, a Port Harcourt-based good governance association, had on July 29, 2015, wrote to the anti-graft agency, detailing three instances of alleged corruption and abuse of office under Amaechi’s government.

But Amaechi yesterday failed to appear before the Justice George Omereji-led commission of inquiry sitting in Port Harcourt.

He also did not send a legal representative.

A Port Harcourt High Court had last week dismissed Amaechi’s suit seeking to stop the commission from investigating his administration.

During her appearance, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Mrs. Stella Ebere-Wigwe, disclosed that over N33.9 billion has been expended on the monorail project so far.

She explained that the state had earlier paid N11 billion to TSI Property and Investments Holdings Limited, which had eight per cent equity in the monorail deal, but the company later backed out as it could not fulfill its financial commitment after it had built about 2.6 kilometers of the project.

“”On Jan 15, 2010, the Rivers State government paid N11bn into Rivers State Moniraik Account at First Bank with account number: 2030012306, representing 20 per cent of the state’ s equity representation. The Rivers State Monorail account was to be managed solely by TSI,” she said.

She disclosed that besides a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between the state and TSI, there was no legal agreement between the parties in the event of a disagreement or breach of contractual terms. According to her, available records show that TSI did not pay any money into the monorail account at First Bank, implying that all the money spent so far on the project is from the state coffers.

She explained that Amaechi’s administration later paid additional N22 billion to another company, ARGUS GIBBS, which is at present working on the project.

According to her, the state government invited ARGUS GIBB into the monorail project after the MoU with TSI failed. ARGUS GIBBS was contracted at a cost of N660 million for its services and paid N36.3m monthly to evaluate and assess the activities of TSI.

However, the Head of Safety and Aviation Department in the state Ministry of Transport, Saya Antiok, said two companies were initially involved in the race to partner with the Rivers State government on the project. TSI represented by retired Brig-Gen. Anthony Ukpo and URBANAUDE, an American firm, but TSI was given the nod by the governor.

“The people from TSI said then that the N11bn was a GAP-DOWN payment. I have never heard of that term before. They explained that it was for feasibility study and technical development. It became very clear to some of us at the ministry that the N11bn paid upfront by the state government was to enable TSI put a structure on ground with which it will showcase to attract foreign investment for the project.

“It is now obvious that TSI had no intention of investing its own funds into the monorail project, yet it had 80 per cent equity in the build, operate and transfer monorail project.”

Antiok disclosed that engineers in the ministry were sidelined as there was so much secrecy about the monorail project.

On July 21, 2010, foundation laying ceremony for the monorail took place at UTC Bus Stop, Port Harcourt.

In the petition, The Integrity Group alleged that Rivers State electric power projects were sold and the proceeds converted to other uses, through payments, amounting to N60 billion, to three companies all located at the same address in Trans Amadi, Port Harcourt.

The petitioners alleged that the transfers, made in US Dollars, occurred within a space of one week, between 1st December 2014, and 8th December, 2014.

It also alleged that the proposed Karibi Whyte Specialist Hospital Port Harcourt was a failed contract, which cost N4.63 billion in what the petitioners described as questionable circumstances.

In the third allegation, the group stated that Amaechi appointed a firm of tax consultants, who were given a relatively exorbitant fee of 12 per cent of taxes collected, on a much lower monthly collection target of N2.5 billion, just as the Rivers State Internal Revenue Service was raking in about N7.5 billion monthly at 5 per cent administrative cost, as prescribed by law. The consultants are said to have collected over N1.5 billion in fees within weeks of their being engaged by Amaechi’s government.

In three separate letters headlined, “Investigation Activities,” and dated 13th August, 2015, the EFCC swung into a detailed probe, asking for information.

All three letters by the EFCC were signed by Olufunke Adetayo-Ogunbode, Head, Economic Governance.

Two of the letters were addressed to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Port Harcourt, in respect of the sale of the state power projects as well as Clinoriv Specialist Hospital and Leisure Limited, which was engaged to construct the still-born Karibi Whyte Specialist Hospital.

Former Minister of Education and Co-converner of the #BringBackOurGirls group, Obiageli Ezekwesili, on Thursday said that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan was a terrible period in the rescue of the Chibok Girls.

Ezekwesili said that the former president’s administration gave false information that demoralized the advocacy of the group and many Nigerians.

The former minister, who spoke on Kaakaki, a weekly programme on African Independent Television to mark 500 days since the girls were kidnapped from their Secondary school in Chibok, Borno state, added that the parents of the girls never got any information that was credible from the then government.

She said that the group rejoiced when former Chief of Defense Staff announced to Nigerians and the rest of the world that government knew where the girls were being held.

Information, she said, turned out to be ‘decorating information’ by the then government.

She said: “You recall that on May 26, 2014 the then Chief of Defense staff said that they had located the girls that the issue was that they needed strategic maneuver in other to rescue them alive.

“We were rejoicing on the day that that information was given. Subsequently other false information was given to us by the same government and that completely demoralized our advocacy because it suddenly seemed as if the desire was not really focused on credibly finding the girls.

“It was not just the BringBackOurGirls that was demoralized during that period. It was the whole world. The whole world could not understand how come the information concerning the girls just seemed to be massaged in all directions.

“At some point we did a mapping of the various information that was coming out of government. We said to ourselves that we were not going to be an anecdotal movement. We were going to simply keep a focus on monitoring the statements of government, the actions of government so that we could analytically say this is what the trend seems to suggest.

“I am saying to you with every sincere bone in me that it was a terrible period.”

She said that the group has renewed hope that the Chibok girls will be rescued since it met with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ezekwesili said that the 219 girls who answered the call to be educated will not be forgotten.

“219 young women who answered the call to be educated in other to improve their lot in life as well as enhance our own society cannot be abandoned by their nation and fellow citizen. That therefore keeps us hopeful. We are never going to stop hoping. They cannot be forgotten.

“We met with the president on July 8. During that engagement the president reiterated the point that he had in his inaugural address that rescuing the Chibok girls was of priority for the administration and that they would maximize their efforts at rescuing the girls.

“We see that as the constructive engagement that we desired with the government when this situation first arouse we see it now. That is constructive, that is based on a sense that government owes accountability to citizens,” she added

If feelers reaching DAILY POST from official quarters are anything to go by, then the embattled chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Larmode, will be on his way out of the anti-graft agency in the coming days.

Informed sources in the commission and the presidency told our correspondent that contrary to the growing permutation that Larmode’s ouster is tied to the petition filed against him by Mr. George Uboh at the Senate, President Muhammadu Buhari has earlier not been favourably disposed to having Larmode champion his anti-corruption crusade owing to his “past records and antecedents”.

According to a presidential source who warned that his name should not be mentioned, “Most of what Uboh raised in the petition is what President Buhari is already in the know of. There are even more unfavourable things he knows of the present chairman that are not yet a public knowledge.


“Don’t forget that Larmode had headed the EFCC as acting chairman at some point. What he did or achieved within that period (he acted as chairman) is one that Mr. President has critically appraised and found out that he can’t be the man for the job”.

The source continued that, “I can assure you that it would take a miracle for Larmode to remain in office beyond the next one week. The signs are very obvious. Even stalwarts of the APC are not comfortable with him being there.


“Ever since Akpabio took that advert space in a national newspaper to distance PDP members in the Senate from the plan by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition to probe the EFCC chairman, Mr. President has come under undue pressure to act fast to remove Larmode from that seat. To me, the whole scenario is one that unites the divergent interests in the ruling party in view of what the party members are asking of the President.”

On who is to replace Lamorde, the source first acknowledged that the President has his way and may choose to go “against public expectation as was the case in the speculations of Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau emerging the NSA. But barring any last minute changes, Hamid Ibrahim Alli, is likely to take Larmode’s place. I hear he is already being screened by the Department of State Services.


”But for Larmode, he won’t likely survive the current storm. It is bad enough for an EFCC boss to be in the eye of the storm. The President is not one that is likely to carry an extra baggage. He looks set to cash in on the moment to take him (Larmode) out of the job.”

Also at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, an insider told DAILY POST that, “everybody is currently ill at ease here. Most of us are already aware of the possible removal of Larmode in the coming days. But our fear is the shakeup the new man, who some top officials believe is likely to be Hamid Alli, will likely come to the job with.

“It is even said in hush tones here that it’s in a bid to escape any backlash that may come after his removal that the chairman traveled out of the country. I believe he may not be where many think he is presently. He is smarter than that,” the source said.

DAILY POST attempted to speak officially with other staff of the commission, but most of them expressed fear, saying they wouldn’t want to be part of the ongoing rumour.

There is tension at the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, as the agency’s top officials arrive Abuja to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari, Wednesday over the missing N183.7 billion and other alleged scams rocking the commission.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirmed the scheduled meeting to PREMIUM TIMES.
“It is true that top officials of the NDDC will be meeting with the President tomorrow (Wednesday),” Mr. Shehu said.

“Although I can’t confirm the exact schedule of the meeting, I can say that it will take place in the afternoon at the Presidential Villa.”
However, a source at the commission who pleaded not to be named because she is not authorised to speak on the issue, said the Managing Director, Dan Abia, would lead the delegation to meet Mr. Buhari.

Other top officials of the commission to accompany Mr. Abia to the meeting include the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Henry Ogiri and the Executive Director, Projects, Tuoyo Omatsuli, among others.

The source said the atmosphere at the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was tensed Tuesday following fears that President Buhari might wield the big stick on the leadership of the commission.

“The office was so tensed today because people are not sure what will happen after the President meets with the MD and some of our directors,” the source said.

“Since the news of huge financial scams broke out in the media, there has been an air of uncertainty in the office.
“Nobody is sure of what will happen tomorrow. Management has been fighting hard to stop the media from doing further damage to the already bad situation but it does not seem to work.”

She said the fate of some key officials of the commission hang on the balance and would be determined after the meeting with Mr. Buhari.
With spiraling debt totaling N1.5 trillion, the NDDC has been enmeshed in alleged multi-billion financial scams including the disappearance of a princely N187.3 billion from its accounts.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported on August 8 how two executive directors, Messrs Ogiri and Omatsuli, disbursed N3.8 billion to contractors, leaving the Mr. Abia in the dark.

It also reported on August 8 how, two weeks after the last board was inaugurated, the commission awarded a contract for intelligence gathering, management and mitigation in all the senatorial districts in the nine states within the region.
To circumvent the Public Procurement Act 2007, the contract was split into 30 lots and awarded to political gladiators and cronies of board members and top management staff.

A total of N2.7billion was doled out to 30 companies for the contracts, described as spurious by some insiders.
Again, last week, the Auditor General of the Federation, Samuel Ukara, indicted the commission for its inability to account for N183.7 billion which passed through it between 2008 and 2012.

Mr. Ukara urged the National Assembly to summon top officials of the commission account for the whereabouts of the funds
Reacting to the report which was laid before the Senate, Mr. Ogiri, accused Mr. Ukara of being hasty in making his report public even while the NDDC was still responding to the audit queries.

But the AGF has stood his grounds, maintaining that the NDDC refused to respond to repeated pleas by his office to respond to audit queries issued to it despite sustained reminders spanning over a year in each case.

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, on Monday, lost N141 billion following intense pressure of global markets as a result of ripples from the Chinese economic crisis.
Dangote joins a long list of billionaires whose fortunes have tumbled over the past few days.
The president of Dangote group lost $708.6 million (N140 billion) as Chinese stocks sank lower after a rout on August 24 that the official state news agency, Xinhua, dubbed 'Black Monday.'
According to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, Dangote gained $79.2m (N15.6bn) gain from Thursday to Friday last week, only to lose the same amount about nine times over.
The 58-year-old was just one of 197 billionaires who lost billions of dollars in 24 hours, with only three of the world’s top 200 billionaires making gain on 'Black Monday.'
Wang Jianlin, Asia’s richest man, and Bill Gates, the world’s richest man, lost $3.6 billion and $3.2 billion respectively as the worst-hit billionaires on Monday.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, lost $1.7 billion, placing him behind Warren Buffet, world number three billion, who lost $2 billion.
The only three gainers were Alwaleed al-Saud, a Saudi business magnate; Tadashi Yanai, founder of Japanese Fast Retailing; and Petr Kellner, a Czech businessman. They gained $169 million, $105.5 million and and 87.3 million respectively.

Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has taken a swipe on Igbo leaders, accusing them of drumming another war and secession.

This is also as ACF has expressed their confidence on the ability of President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to deliver the desired dividends of democracy to Nigerians, saying, “we are confident that Nigerians will soon begin to reap the benefit of his (Buhari) experience and credibility.”

Addressing a press conference preparatory to its 2015 Annual General Assembly (AGA) holding in Kaduna, the Chairman of the National Executive Council (NEC), Ibrahim A. Coomassie‎, described as worrisome the renewed agitations by Biafra movement.


According to him, “ACF has observed with serious concern the continued agitation by some Ndigbo elements for the creation of Biafra Republic out of the present Federal Republic of Nigeria. As you will recall, the issues of Biafra was settled in 1970 after a Civil War.

“It is, therefore, sad and unfortunate that 45 years after, when Nigerians are now united in a democratic system of governance, some elements are now busy drumming the idea of another war and secession through ‘Radio Biafra’ and MASSOB activities.


“The agitators for this unholy division are in their safe abode outside Nigeria and are openly campaigning in foreign countries.

“The most painful aspect of this agitation by the young Ndigbo elements is the deaf ear and silence from the elders, who experienced the bitter pill of the succession attempt- 30 months civil war and who know the consequences of such a futile agitation.


“ACF expects Ndigbo leaders to come out openly and condemn such agitations in the present day Nigeria just as it and others condemned and berated the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast region. We cannot afford to transit from one insurgency into another.

“ACF, therefore, calls upon the Ndigbo leaders and groups to come out, not only to ‎condemn but to publicly dissociate themselves from this act of treason against the state by some disgruntled Ndigbo elements.”

ACF noted that recently, an elder statesman from the South-East celebrated his birthday in Abuja with the launching of his two books,
stressing that in that meeting, “a good number of who is who in the South East attended in their traditional regalia and as the activities progressed, it was nothing but Biafra with inciting and provocative speech by one speaker after another, this made other Nigerian (Non-Igbos) to make a dramatic walk out, even the guest of honour could not stop them inspite of pleadings

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ahmadu Giade, has ordered investigation into the operations of Arik Airlines.

The order was given following the arrest of one Chika Egwu Udensi, an Air steward working for Arik Airlines on Monday with substances that tested positive for cocaine at Heathrow Airport, London.

The Agency was notified of the arrest by the National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom.

According to the NDLEA boss, “the agency will carry out a full-scale investigation into this case to ascertain those behind the act. We shall work closely with our international partners on the matter. Arik Airline will be sanctioned if found wanting.”

An investigation by SaharaReporters has revealed that embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki, engineered a petition to the Senate by a convicted criminal, George Uboh, alleging that the leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had embezzled more than N1 trillion in assets seized in corruption cases.

Sources at the EFCC, Senate and in the UK claimed that Mr. Saraki encouraged Mr. Uboh to submit a petition to the Senate blackmailing the anti-corruption agency after the senator learned on a recent trip to the United Kingdom that the EFCC had contacted the London Metropolitan police to assist in a widened money laundering investigation targeting the senator.

A US court once convicted Mr. Uboh, an older brother of a former member of the House of Representatives, Doris Uboh, for engaging in credit card fraud. US authorities had also indicted him for dealing in narcotics, but the narcotics charges were later dropped.

In 1992, U.S. law enforcement agents carried out a major raid on a credit card and bank fraud ring led by George Uboh in Georgia. US prosecutors identified Mr. Uboh as the ringleader of the syndicate. Doris Uboh’s names appeared as number 7 on the indictment list, and she was charged on four counts of felony charges. She fled the US to Nigeria, later manipulating her way into the House of Reps.

The case against the Ubohs and their co-conspirers was assigned docket number 92-cr-00041-GET-JRS and was listed as USA v. Uboh et al. The Uboh siblings and 27 others were charged with varying degrees of felonious fraud.

The case wound through US courts from 1992 to 1998. Though the U.S. government issued a motion to dismiss the charges with regard to Doris and others in 1998, the case was re-opened in 1999. However, by that time Ms. Uboh had fled the U.S. Her flight led U.S. prosecutors to declare her a “fugitive.”

Mr. Saraki, who in June became the Senate president after striking a deal with the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has long been a suspect in money laundering crimes dating to the infamous looting of funds from Societe Generale Bank, a bank in which his family had controlling shares. EFCC agents had also accused Mr. Saraki of engaging in a systematic embezzlement of public funds during the two terms he was governor of Kwara State.

After the end of his governorship tenure, the Senate president was accused by the Nigerian police Anti-Fraud unit of defrauding banks of billions of naira through fraudulent loans and other schemes involving his business interests.

The EFCC recently quizzed Mr. Saraki’s wife, Toyin Saraki, for two days. Following the extensive interrogation, the EFCC sought the cooperation of the London Metropolitan police to widen its investigation.

“The bulk of money involved in our investigation [of Mrs. Saraki] was laundered using credit cards and with the purchase of properties in the UK,” an EFCC agent said.

In 2007, as Mr. Saraki and a host of former governors faced investigation by the then Nuhu Ribadu-led EFCC, Mr. Saraki and former Governor James Ibori of Delta State connived with then Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, to remove Mr. Ribadu from his post. With their nemesis, Ribadu, elbowed out, Mr. Saraki and Mr. Ibori prevailed then President Umaru Yar’Adua to hire their lackey, Farida Waziri, to head the anti-corruption agency. An EFCC source told SaharaReporters that Mr. Saraki also persuaded Mrs. Waziri to employ several police officers close to him at the EFCC. The officers pushed by the senator included, Abdulkadiri Jimoh, a police officer very close to him.

A Senate source told SaharaReporters that Mr. Saraki was furious when the EFCC leadership refused to honor a summons he sent out to various agencies. The EFCC had declined to attend the questionable meeting on the strength of advice by their lawyers that Mr. Saraki did not have the constitutional right to summon the agency in the guise of a “courtesy call.”

Shortly after the EFCC publicly spurned Mr. Saraki’s summons, the agency invited his wife for what one agent described as “two days of grueling interrogation.” Mrs. Saraki had arrived at the EFCC with a horde of serving lawmakers and other backers led by Dino Melaye who claimed that he was present as a “private investigator”.

SaharaReporters learned that Mr. Uboh’s so-called petition against the EFCC was routed through Peter Nwaoboshi, a first-term senator from Delta State. “It was sent through Senator Nwaoboshi in order to give the impression that the Senate president had no hand in it,” a source at the Senate told SaharaReporters.

Our sources said Mr. Uboh’s spurious petition was part of Senator Saraki’s broad agenda to undermine the EFCC and bring the agency to its knees. “The whole plan is to checkmate us so that we won’t be able to finish the investigation of his wife and to possibly charge her,” said an EFCC source.

One senator told SaharaReporters that Mr. Uboh’s petition, already scheduled for hearing, was not routed through the normal channels at the Senate. “They just sneaked the thing in the petition through the backdoor when the entire Senate was on vacation,” the senator said.

Saraki’s plan to probe the EFCC is being tested for the second time in the last two months as an earlier attempt failed during a plenary session recently. The EFCC as a statutory agency of the Nigerian government is due to present an annual report to the Senate in September 2015.

Senators loyal to the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, have concluded strategies to reject President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominee, Babatunde Fowler, as the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
The Like Minds Senators are of the opinion that Fowler is the candidate of a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, hence the need to reject him.
Tinubu has been at loggerheads with Saraki since his emergence as the Senate president on June 9, 2015.
Tinubu’s preferred candidate for the Senate presidency was Senator Ahmad Lawan.
It was gathered that since the emergence of Saraki as the Senate president, he has never had the opportunity to discuss policy issues with President Muhammadu Buhari owing to the opposition to his emergence by they party, the All Progressives Congress.
The opposition is believed to be spearheaded by Saraki.
Saraki ran into trouble with Buhari for flouting the APC’s stand on the emergence of principal officers in the Senate.
Some senators, who spoke on condition of anonymity, believe that Fowler’s rejection will be an avenue to do a sort of pay back for Tinubu for all his machinations against the Senate.


One of the senators, who is loyal to Saraki, said: “This is payback time for Asiwaju for all his machinations against the Senate since he could not get his candidate to become Senate president.
“This is an opportunity to force Tinubu to the table and mend bridges or break them further.”
Many of the senators close to Saraki are said to be getting ready to ensure they use the rejection of Fowler’s nomination as a clear signal that the crisis in the Senate has not been due to the protection of any party supremacy but the political interest of Tinubu.
The pro-Saraki senators are also angling to move against Fowler because they believe Tinubu is scheming to take control of the country’s finances in the Buhari administration without the President realising the game plan.
One of them, a senator from Delta State, said: “There must be a trade-off as we get to the period of ministerial nominations and confirmation hearings.
“What we do not like is this idea of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds.
“Those who need us for their own interests, different from the interest of President Buhari, are now making it look like we need them.
“They have continued to create enmity between the Senate and the Presidency.
“Now, they are playing a different game.”

The Chief Matron, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mrs. Caroline Oriola, has reportedly died in her office within the assembly premises.
It was gathered that Oriola had gone to the office on Saturday, August 22, but that her corpse was discovered yesterday by a cleaner, who had gone to clean the clinic.

Sources in the assembly revealed that the woman had gone to her office on Saturday to take some drugs and was said to have put on the air conditioning unit in the office and locked the door.
It was gathered that the security men on duty were oblivious of the incident though the woman signed in before she picked the keys to the clinic, being a weekend.
A visit to the House revealed a sad atmosphere as the place was calm and some of the staff of the assembly were seen discussing her death in groups.
A source said: “It is, indeed, sad news. Nobody expected that she would die when she did. We were told that she was in the clinic to pick some drugs only for her dead body to be found on the floor by a cleaner.”
Another source disclosed that Oriola’s husband, who had waited endlessly for her to return home that Saturday, had gone to check on her at the Assembly, but could not find her car in the car park, adding that he was unaware that she parked at the lawmakers’ car park in the assembly.
The body of the deceased was later conveyed to the morgue in the early hours of yesterday in the assembly’s ambulance, accompanied by some staff of the House, led by the Clerk, Mr. Segun Abiru.
Mr. Musibau Rasak, Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Mr. Mubashiru Obasa, who confirmed the report, expressed the condolence of the Speaker to the bereaved family and friends.
He prayed to God to grant the soul of the departed eternal rest.

With less than three months to the December 5 governorship election, major tragedy was averted on Saturday in Nembe, Bayelsa State, following the slump of the former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the State, Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd), who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

During the incident, which occured at a Town Hall meeting in Nembe, tension, fear and apprehension was said to have gripped the leadership of the APC.

It was however not clear whether journalists from both print and electronic media were compromised from writing the report of the major incident that took place in public domain.

But an eyewitness at the forum, who pleaded anonymity said “something funny happened and you don’t expect everything to be made public.”

Sources at the event said the programme was ongoing when Inokoba suddenly collapsed and was rushed to a local hospital, where he was said to be under intensive care as efforts were being made by medical personnel to stabilise his condition.

The Timipre Sylva-led APC leadership in the state was said to be uncomfortable with the situation and tried to keep the incident away from the press.

But it soon became public knowledge when relatives and associates came to the hospital, where Inokoba was being treated.

Reacting to the development, the Ijaw Young Professionals called on Inokoba’s family and the general public to hold the APC responsible should anything happen to the former PDP chairman.

Spokesman of IYP, Seighefa Tonye-Brown, in a statement in Yenagoa, berated the APC for attempting to hide the unfortunate incident.

According to him, the action of the APC leadership was suspicious and not in good faith.

He warned that should anything untoward happen to the Odi-born politician, the action of APC would be called to question.

Inokoba, who marked his 70th birthday in April, the statement claimed, had been in and out of hospital all through last year and till date.

Tonye-Brown added that all the while, his medical bills and welfare were provided by the Dickson-led PDP government.

“On several occasions, we were aware that he was flown abroad for medical treatment courtesy of the PDP-led government in the state. Even on the eve of his defection to the APC, we were privy to the fact that he was given the sum of N5 million by the Countriman governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, to proceed abroad for his usual medical check and treatment,” Tonye-Brown