Politics

#Insecurity: Wike says El-Rufai is reaping from evil he plotted against others.

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Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has attributed the security crisis in Kaduna state to the evil the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai plotted against others.

The governor alleged that El-Rufai was reaping from the evil he plotted against Rivers State in the past.

Wike said this when the Vice President of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt, Obiageli Ejezie, led other leaders of the association to the Government House, Port Harcourt, to confer on him the aide, Kelvin Ebiri/2020 Good Governance Award for his outstanding achievements in project execution in Rivers State.

In a statement by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri said the All Progressives Congress (APC) promised in 2015 to offer better governance than former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said, “There can’t be good governance without security and this is based on the rule of law. All of us are living witnesses that in 2015, it was alleged that the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan could not perform.

“So, Nigeria needed a change. What has happened to the change? They have taken Nigeria back by 50 years.

“Now, you wake up every morning, students are being kidnapped in so-and-so state university; people have been killed in so-and-so state. It has become the norm.

“Just wake up in the morning and the first thing you will see on the front page of the dailies is ’10 people have been kidnapped in Niger State; 20 have been killed in Zamfara State, five have been killed in Imo’ and this happens virtually every day. So, where are we heading to?

Nyesom Wike

“I remember when I came in 2015, when they were honouring one of their friends as a minister on live television, Channels, el-Rufai had the temerity to say (my) election could not stand in Rivers State and that they would kick me out.”

Politics

Video of Sheikh Gumi demanding President Buhari’s resignation (Watch)

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Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has been seen in a viral video demanding the resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to the scholar, he is calling for Buhari to resign the same way he called for the resignation of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

It is not immediately clear when the video was recorded, but Gumi noted in the clip that Jonathan was more democratic and allowed freedom of speech.

Watch the video below:

https://twitter.com/TheVyralTrendz/status/1390730790397427714?s=19

Politics

You can’t abuse everyone in Nigeria and demand presidency – El-Rufai tells Igbos

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Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said that the emergence of a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction will only become reality if the people of the South-East stop threatening the country with secession.

El-Rufai said the regions that have produced Presidents that ruled the country achieved the feats by negotiating with people and political parties, stressing that politics has to do with negotiations and convincing others on why they should vote for the candidates.

The governor said this during a webinar organised by the Africa Leadership Group and tagged: ‘Developing a Viable Nation 2’.

He said Igbo people will not get the presidency by abusing everyone in Nigeria, adding that the region needs to seek alliance with other regions if they want someone from the region to be the next President.

El-Rufai, while responding to a question about why someone of Igbo extraction has not become Nigeria’s president yet, said; “I don’t think anyone has stopped the South-East from going for the Presidency. But you see, you cannot get the Presidency of Nigeria by threats or by shouting victimhood. This is a political process and you have to engage other parts of Nigeria to convince them to support you.

“That is what everyone does. That is what Jonathan did in 2011; that is what Buhari did in 2015 and 2019. That is what every President does. You don’t stay in your corner, abuse everyone in Nigeria and say give me Presidency. It is not going to happen.

Presidency is not by allocation. It is the result of a political process. You join a political party, your party negotiates with other parts of the country and it happens. That is how it is done. And you cannot get it by sitting down or threatening secession. It won’t work.

“I think the South-East is going about it the wrong way because if you look at the APC (All Progressives Congress) for instance, we do not have many footprints in the South-East.”

Politics

We planned to attack abductors of Kaduna Forestry students even if it meant killing the students – Governor El-Rufai

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Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, has revealed that his government planned to attack and kill the bandits that abducted students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna State, even if it meant some students would die in the process.

El-Rufai explained that such action would only be considered as collateral damage and a price he would be willing to pay instead of paying ransom to the criminals.

Daily Post reports that Governor spoke on Thursday during a webinar organised by the Africa Leadership Group, while responding to a question on his refusal to negotiate with bandits.

El-Rufai further revealed that before the planned attack could be carried out, the bandits hurriedly changed location.

He said; “Two days after the abduction of the Afaka young people, I was assured by the air force and the army that they knew where the kidnappers were with the students and they had encircled them.

“We were going to attack them. We would lose a few students but we would kill all the bandits and we would recover some of the students.

“That was our plan. That was the plan of the air force and the army… But they slipped through the cordon of the army. That is why they were not attacked.

“We know it is risky, we know in the process we may lose some of the abductees but it is a price we have to pay.

This is war, there will always be collateral damage in war and we will rather do that than pay money because paying money has not solved the problem anywhere in the world.”

Recall that the remaining abducted 27 students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna State, regained their freedom on Wednesday.

Politics

Pantami Bags Most Outstanding Minister Of The Year Award

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The Minister Of Communications And Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has been conferred the Most Outstanding Minister of the Year Award.

It was awarded to him by People and Power Magazine in recognition of policies developed by the Ministry under his supervision.

This was made known in a post via the official Twitter account of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, while highlighting the NIN–SIM Data linkage, the National Digital Economy Policy & Strategy as some of the reasons the award was conferred on him.

Pantami was presented with the award at his office on Thursday, May 6, 2021 by a representative of the Magazine.

A tweet from the ministry’s handle @FMoCDENigeria reads; ‘‘The Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, @DrIsaPantami has been conferred with the Award as MOST OUTSTANDING MINISTER OF THE YEAR by People and Power Magazine.

The accolade according to the magazine is in recognition of the laudable policies developed by the Ministry under the supervision of the Minister such as the revolutionary NIN–SIM Data linkage, the National Digital Economy Policy & Strategy for a #DigitalNigeria, among others.”

Politics

Dep Speaker, Wase, wants Sen Abaribe jailed

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The Senate Minority Leader Eyinnaya Abaribe was pilloried on Thursday by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps, Ahmed Wase over his failure to produce Nnamdi Kanu to face prosecution.

Abaribe had stood as a surety for the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader after Kanu was accused of secessionist agitations.

Ripples Nigeria further reported in 2019 that Abaribe and two others had stood as sureties for Kanu before he was granted bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja on April 25, 2017.

They are now grappling with the burden to produce him to enable continuation of his trial.

The inability of the three sureties’ to produce Kanu, made the judge, Justice Binta Nyako, order them on November 14, 2018, to each pay into the court’s account the N100m bond within two months.

Abaribe had also told the Court of Appeal in Abuja that his standing surety for the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, was illegal.

He, therefore, urged the court to relieve him of the suretyship for Kanu.

However, Wase opined that the Abia South senator should be imprisoned just as Senator Ali Ndume, who stood surety but failed to produce former Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) Chairman Abdulrasheed Maina, who jumped bail.

This was a sequel to the Point of Privilege Order raised by a member of the House, Sada Soli.

In the point of privilege, Soli expressed displeasure at House Minority Leader Ndudi Elumelu’s remarks at a closed-door executive session last week that some APC members plan to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Wase said, “I see someone as Abaribe, a leader in the Senate, championing that. Yes, there are many flaws. He bailed Kanu Nnamdi and during the EndSARS (protests), we knew what happened. Kanu then, was the one who was asking for the heads of Tinubu, destroy this, destroying that in the nation.

“But we have allowed him. He knew what happened to Ndume. Ndume, for bailing Maina, was taken to prison for not producing him, but we allowed this man to go as an opposition person.”

Politics, World News

We Are Angry Nigerians Took Over Our Retail Business, They Must Go—Ghanaian Traders.

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The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) at Kasoa in the Central region has threatened to close down shops of foreign nationals, especially Nigerians, engaged in retail business.The group said the invasion of foreigners in retail business had made their businesses to collapse.

General Secretary of GUTA at Kasoa, Bright Agyemang, who spoke to a section of the media, expressed worry over the government’s inability to enforce the laws on foreign businesses in Ghana.

In a report by Ghanaweb, he said members of the association are furious and becoming impatient towards the continuous invasion of foreigners in the retail business.

Agyemang urged the government to address the issue to avoid it from degenerating.

He said: “The foreigners have taken over our market that is why GUTA is complaining. They have taken over all across the country but as it is now, Kasoa is the strongest area for these foreigners.

“So, we are praying to the government to come to our aid.

“The law says a foreigner cannot do retail except Ghanaians but the foreigners are doing retail in our markets and so we will close their shops. We will use the law; we will enforce the law to close their shops.”

For years, GUTA and some foreign nationals, especially Nigerians, have been at war over retail trade in the country. Last year, members of GUTA forcibly locked up some foreign-owned shops in Greater Accra and Kumasi in the Ashanti region.

The trade war led to a high-powered delegation flying from Nigeria to Ghana to meet parliament over the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) law that prevents foreigners from engaging in the retail business.

The National President of Nigerian Union of Traders Association, Ghana (NUTAG), Chukwuemeka Nnaji, said, “The ECOWAS protocol gives all citizens of member states equal rights to do business, reside and establish a business in each member state.”

Politics

Bandits now use walkie-talkie, we can’t trace them – National Space Agency

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The National Space Research and Development Agency (NSRDA) has said that inadequate satellite and other facilities affect the agency’s capability to trace bandits and other criminal elements operating in the country.

Director-General of NSRDA, Halilu Shaba disclosed this to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, after an interactive meeting with staff of the agency in Abuja.

Shaba said the bandits have become sophisticated in their operations and waves received by the agency from remote areas shows the bandits no longer use Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) phones, but walkie-talkie.

The Satellite is not static where the insurgency is taking place. That is why one satellite is not adequate. What Nigeria has there are some two satellites doing two different things.

We have a High-Resolution imaging satellite and Medium Resolution imaging satellite. The activities of the bandits could be when the satellite was away from Nigerian borders, so that is why we are advocating for more satellites for Nigeria,” he said.

Shaba, therefore, called for collaboration between the agency and security agencies in the country in the area of information sharing, especially when planning to launch attacks on the criminal elements.

Politics

Please release the abducted Greenfield varsity students – President Buhari begs bandits

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Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has appealed for the release of the remaining 16 students of Greenfield University, Kaduna State, who were abducted by bandits on April 18, 2021.

He made the appeal in a statement released via his official Twitter account on Wednesday, while reacting to news of the release of the 27 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization in Kaduna state.

The abducted students were released by the bandits on Wednesday, May 5.

President Buhari appealed for the release of all other Nigerians in captivity and pledged his government will not leave any stone unturned in ensuring that Nigerians live in a country where everyone can move where and when they want without the fear of kidnapping & banditry.

He wrote; ”I welcome the release of the 27 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, and congratulate their friends, families, and the government and people of Kaduna State. We are happy they have been released.

Our deep appreciation to all who contributed one way or the other to this happy outcome, in particular the defence and security agencies, the officials of the Ministry of Environment, and the Government of Kaduna State. We equally thank Nigerians for their prayers.

I again appeal for the release of the students of Greenfield University & all other citizens held in captivity. We will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that Nigerians live in a country where everyone can move where and when they want—without the fear of kidnapping & banditry.

I call for steadfastness & security awareness on the part of the law enforcement agencies, and citizens. Let me once again condemn the increasing politicization of security in Nigeria, by opportunistic politicians. All hands must be on deck to achieve enduring peace & security.”

Lifestyle, Politics, World News

President Buhari Commiserates With Pastor Adeboye On Death Of Son.

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday condoled with the family of Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), on the passing of his son, Pastor Dare Adeboye.
Son of the revered cleric was reported to have died in his sleep on Wednesday, shortly after ministration.
President Buhari in a statement signed on Thursday by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina commiserated with members of the RCCG on the demise of the Assistant Pastor in charge of Region (Youth) 35.

He urged them to “find comfort in the teachings of the Holy Scriptures that those who have chosen to serve God faithfully will see Him as He is in eternity.”
The President prays God Almighty to grant the departed rest in His everlasting kingdom and comfort the grieving family, friends, and associates.

Politics

Lawmakers on alert over plot by Boko Haram to attack National Assembly, VIP locations

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Federal lawmakers have been notified of a possible attack by Boko Haram insurgents on the National Assembly complex and other public infrastructures in Abuja.

According to The PUNCH, a copy of the security notice was sent to the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, other principal officers and all members of the House.

The ‘security alert’, dated May 4, 2021, was issued by Chairman of the House Committee on Internal Security, National Assembly, Usman Shiddi.

It was titled ‘Re: planned insurgent attacks on VIP locations, government facilities and assets in Abuja.’

The alert read; “I refer to the above subject of which a copy of the intelligence report from the Force Intelligence Bureau of the Nigeria Police Force in the National Assembly Complex has been made available to my office.

“The report indicates planned insurgent attacks by some elements of Boko Haram on some VIP locations, government facilities and assets in Abuja, including the National Assembly complex.

“In view of the above intelligence, I have considered it paramount to advise that all members should, henceforth, use the presidential gate for ingress and egress.

“This is to avoid the unforeseen congestions that are sometimes encountered at the main gates, since such congestions could easily be the targets for these insurgent elements.

Security agencies are, however, actively on top of the issue to unravel and to contain the intended menace. Accept the assurances of my highest regards, please.”

Several members of the House of Representatives, on Wednesday, confirmed to The Punch that they had been notified of the imminent attack by the terrorist group.

One of them, who is from a state in the South-West, said his presence would henceforth be limited on the premises.

That is the security alert I saw today. I’m already moving out of here. I’ll only be around when there is a major reason to do so. Nowhere is safe in the country anymore,” he said.

Already the notice on the impending attack has been made available to the lawmakers.

Meanwhile, Security has been beefed up in and around the complex since Thursday last week.

Politics

Author of Nigeria’s National Pledge, Prof. Felicia Adedoyin dies at 83

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The author of Nigeria’s National Pledge, Professor Felicia Adebola Adedoyin, has died after a brief illness.

She died on Saturday, 1st of May, 2021, according to Inside Oyo.

Prof. Adedoyin wrote the National Pledge in 1976 when she lectured at the University of Lagos and was a consultant with the United Nations.

She was inspired to write the pledge following questions by her children who had been used to reciting the Oath of Allegiance while in school in New York, and the State Pledge in Achimota School, Ghana.

Prof. Adedoyin published the Pledge in the Daily Times in July 15, 1976, in an article titled “Loyalty to the Nation, Pledge’”.

It was shown to the then Head of State, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, who modified it and introduced it to the country during the formal launch of the Universal Free Primary Education (UPE) and decreed that all school children recite the National Pledge during assembly.

In 2005, Prof Adedoyin was given a national award, the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).

She was in the care of her children when she passed away, and surrounded by loved ones.

Politics

I am having sleepless night over Nigeria’s problems – Pantami

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Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has said he is having sleepless nights over Nigeria’s challenges.

The minister disclosed this on Tuesday, while delivering his Ramadan Tafsir at Al-noor mosque Wuse II, Abuja.

He said the country is currently facing insecurity, economic, and social problems.

Pantami explained that the problems the country is facing is because of the nature of the wrongdoing by some individuals among the citizens.

He said for the country to have peace and stability, everyone must correct his wrongdoing from top to the bottom.

“We don’t have better home than Nigeria and if it is better, it is for our collective good and if is not, we are the one to suffer,” he noted.

Pantami, therefore advised Nigerians to continue praying for the peace and stability of the country.

Politics

Fr. Mbaka not in our custody – DSS

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The Department of State Services, DSS, says the Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, is not in its custody.

DSS spokesman, Peter Afunnaya, made this known in a text message sent to The Punch on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.

He (Mbaka) is not with the DSS, please,” Afunnaya wrote in response to an inquiry by The Punch.

Controversy trailed the whereabouts of Mbaka on Wednesday with a reported protest in Enugu State over the fiery cleric’s alleged arrest by yet-to-be-identified security operative.

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide (OYC), earlier raised the alarm over the whereabouts of the religious leader.

The clergyman had recently demanded the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari, after which the presidency released a statement, saying that he wants Buhari to resign because his contract request was not granted by government.

In a statement issued by the President-General of OYC, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, he said Mbaka was last seen on Tuesday, adding that every effort to trace him had failed.

“We have it on good authority that his aides have neither seen nor heard from him since Tuesday.

Calls put to his mobile line have also remained unanswered; this has now prompted us to issue this alarm as we would not take it lightly should anything untoward happen to him.

“We are giving the Federal Government 48 hours to produce the priest, else they should be ready to face Igbo youths. They were dining and wining with him all along and now that he told the truth, they are no longer comfortable with him.

“Let nothing happen to Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka. It will not be in anybody’s interest,” the group warned.

Politics

Father Mbaka has gone missing – Ohanaeze raises alarm, warns FG

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The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide (OYC), on Wednesday raised the alarm over the whereabouts of Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministries, Enugu.

The cleric had recently demanded the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari, after which the presidency released a statement, saying that he wants Buhari to resign because his contract request was not granted by government.

Ohanaeze Youth Council has now claimed that the priest was missing.

President-General of OYC, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, in a statement released on Wednesday, said Fr. Mbaka was last seen on Tuesday, adding that every effort to trace him had failed.

We have it on good authority that his aides have neither seen nor heard from him since Tuesday.

“Calls put to his mobile line have also remained unanswered; this has now prompted us to issue this alarm as we would not take it lightly should anything untoward happen to him.

“We are giving the Federal Government 48 hours to produce the priest, else they should be ready to face Igbo youths. They were dining and wining with him all along and now that he told the truth, they are no longer comfortable with him.

“Let nothing happen to Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka. It will not be in anybody’s interest,” the group warned.

Politics

Kidnapping, banditry not federal offences in Nigeria – FG

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The federal government says kidnapping and banditry are not federal offences in Nigeria.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed stated this on Tuesday, in response to the statement on insecurity by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

It is shocking that a party that ruled this nation for all of 16 years does not know that kidnapping and banditry are not federal offences”, he said.

The minister told the PDP to call out the states, including those being controlled by it, to ensure a rigorous prosecution of arrested kidnappers and bandits.

Mohammed said the opposition party did not respect its own words, as it played cheap politics while playing the ostrich.

He noted that the party made wild accusations against the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

The minister said; “For example, the PDP said the government has refused to engage, and that we were running a ‘government of exclusion’, and not engaging stakeholders.”

Mohammed insisted that the current administration has consistently engaged Nigerians on topical national issues, including security, the fight against corruption, terrorism, infrastructure and farmer-herder conflict.

He said the latest of such Town Hall Meetings was the one in Kaduna and further listed the recommendations.

He recalled that the participants agreed: “That the governance of human society should be based on Law rather than the whims and caprices of human beings and must be obeyed by all as all persons are equal before the law including the lawgivers.

“That there is an urgent need for political restructuring and not separation; That the Judiciary be decentralized and reformed through Constitutional Amendment to remove the unitary control of the Superior Courts.

“That governments at all levels should ensure free, qualitative and compulsory Primary Education for all children of school age.

That the Military, Police and other Security Agencies be expanded in number, retrained, provided with modern equipment and technology to cope with emerging security challenges.

“That both religious and traditional leaders encourage and promote inter-marriages for unity as contained in the 1999 Constitution as amended, Article 15, 3(c) which prescribes inter-marriage among persons from different places of origin, or of different religious, ethnic or linguistic association or ties.

“That the establishment of State Police be supported by the National and State Houses of Assembly to enable State Governments to have firm control in addressing security issues.

“That Traditional Rulers be given their age-long role of maintaining peace and security within their domain.

That Local Government Autonomy be actualized to enable them have control of their areas including the ungoverned spaces in tackling security challenges.

“That the Farmers/Herders clashes be addressed by the establishment of ranches, grazing reserves with modern amenities to check the trans-humans of the herders.

Politics

FG may slash workers’ salaries to reduce governance cost – Finance Minister

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The Federal Government has proposed salary cuts for workers as a way of reducing the high cost of governance in the country.

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning Zainab Ahmed, said the FG was working to reduce the high cost of governance by doing away with unnecessary expenditures.

Disclosing this at the policy dialogue on corruption and cost of governance in Nigeria organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission in Abuja on Tuesday, she said President Muhammadu Buhari, has directed the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission to review the salaries of civil servants as well as the number of federal agencies.

Ahmed urged all government agencies to come together to trim the cost amid the country’s dwindling revenue.

She said the government also intends to remove some superfluous items from the budget in order to cut the cost of governance in the country.

She stated, “We still see government expenditure increase to a terrain twice higher than our revenue. The nation’s budgets are filled every year with projects that are recycled over and over again and are also not necessary.

“Mr President has directed that the salaries committee that I chair, work together with the Head of Service and other members of the committee to review the government payrolls in terms of stepping down on cost.’’

The minister said that government will also review the number of government agencies in terms of their mandates, adding that the government will consider merging two agencies with the same mandate.

The Director-General of the Budget Office, Ben Akabueze disclosed that the cost of governance under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has risen sharply from N3.61 trillion in 2015 to N5.26trn in 2018 and N7.91trn in 2020.

Akabueze noted that recurrent spending accounted for more than 75 per cent of actual Ministries, Departments and Agencies’ expenditure between 2011 and 2020.

The DG stated, “There have been persistent calls for reduction of governance cost in Nigeria in view of the impact on governmental fiscal situation. The current system is clearly unsustainable; hence this national dialogue on corruption and the cost of governance in Nigeria is very timely.

‘’Cost of governance has generally been on the rise; actual MDA recurrent spending rose sharply from N3.61trn in 2015 to N5.26trn in 2018 and N7.91trn in 2020. This excludes the costs of government-owned enterprises and transfers to the National Assembly, National Assembly and the National Judicial Council.

Recurrent spending accounted for more than 75 per cent of actual MDA expenditures between 2011 and 2020. Personnel costs accounted for 40 per cent of actual recurrent spending in 2020 while overhead is just three per cent.’’

Speaking further, the DG said in 2016, personnel cost was N1.88trn but it is now over N3trn, accounting for 31 per cent and 63 per cent of total spending and retained revenue, respectively in 2020.

He compared the United States federal budget where he said general administration cost, including personnel and overhead, was less than 10 per cent of the budget.

In his remarks, the ICPC Chairman, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN, identified payroll padding and the phenomenon of ghost workers and abuse of recruitment as areas of concern in governance cost, noting that the ICPC findings from health and medical institutions indicate that many agencies still engage in unapproved recruitment without obtaining the consent of all relevant organs of government.

Politics

Boko Haram kidnapped the Greenfield varsity students, not bandits – Sheikh Gumi

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Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, says Boko Haram members are the ones behind the abduction of the students of Greenfield University, Kaduna state.

Bandits, had on April 18 stormed the school and abducted 22 students and a teacher. Five of the students have been killed by their abductors. The gunmen had threatened to kill the remaining 17 if their N100m ransom demand is not met.

However, Gumi, speaking in an interview with AIT on Tuesday, said Boko Haram members were behind the abduction.

When asked by the reporter if he indeed mentioned that Boko Haram were behind the abduction, Sheik Gumi said; ”Yes, really because when we tried to trace them and put some sense into them, the contact who is also a Normadic Fulani, they threatened him. They said if he insists on them they were going to catch him and he will have to pay ransom before he gets out.

And the leader is from Jalingo. He is from Adamawa. He is not the local fulani we have here. So this means that North-Eastern element is coming into this area and we have to move fast. We don’t have that luxury of time.

I have been trying to speak with government but nobody is really trying to listen to me or speak with me on this issue.

We are trying to pacify and remove this banditry and they are responding.”

Reacting to the decision of the Kaduna state government not to negotiate with bandits, the cleric said;

”Five souls were killed. Why? What amount of money is too big for us to save the lives of those five students, what amount of money? secondly, we can give them the money to get the boys out of danger then go after our money. Nobody is saying you shouldn’t find them..you can get the two back.

To say you will not negotiate with them and also not take action against them, I cannot understand that.”

Politics

Middle-Belt releases flag, coat of arms, proposed country name

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Following agitations from different groups in Nigeria seeking breakaway nations, the Middle Belt appears to have joined the fray with the unveiling of its own flag and coat of arms.

Sources say the region has kicked-off plans to agitate for its own country, named Midwest Republic.

In 2016, the Middle-Belt had also unveiled its own currency, which it has now redesigned to include Midwest.

It has also released its official flag and coat of arms, photos of which have started going viral on social media.

Massive social media reactions have already begun trailing the proposed creation of The Midwest Republic.

Politics

Defence Headquarters warns military officers against overthrowing Buhari’s government

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The Defence Headquarters has warned soldiers against any plots to overthrow President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, while debunking claims in some quarters of a plan to topple the democratically elected administration.

A statement by the Acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu in Abuja, made this known on Monday.

The Military high command warned the soldiers against contemplating a coup because it is a treasonable offence.

The statement read: “The attention of the military high command has been drawn to a statement purported to have been made by one Robert Clark SAN, suggesting that current political leadership should hand over power to the military for the purpose of restructuring. 

The Nigerian Military wishes to dissociate itself from such anti-democratic utterance and position.

“Let it be stated categorically that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain fully committed to the present administration and all associated democratic institutions.

“We shall continue to remain apolitical, subordinate to the civil authority, firmly loyal to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari and the 1999 Constitution as Amended.

We shall continue to discharge our constitutional responsibilities professionally, especially in protecting the country’s democracy, defence of the territorial integrity of the country as well as protection of lives and properties of citizens.

The Military High Command wishes to use this opportunity to warn misguided politicians who nurse the inordinate ambition to rule this country outside the ballot box to banish such thoughts as the military under the current leadership remain resolute in the defence of Nigeria’s democracy and its growth.

“We also wish to remind all military personnel that it is treason to even contemplate this illegality. The full wrath of the law will be brought to bear on any personnel found to collude with people having such agenda.

“The current security challenges are not insurmountable. The Armed Forces of Nigeria in partnership with other security agencies are working assiduously to ameliorate the challenge. Nigeria will know peace again. Please be warned!”

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