OBLONG MEDIA GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE is where independent minds meet to dissect politics, society, power, and global affairs without fear or filters. This is not mainstream media.
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As at today, the total number of Oil Mining Lease (OML) in operation in our country is 109, while the total number of Oil Prospecting License (OPL) is 92. below are the indigenous companies operating in the upstream sector of our oil and gas industry: Alfred James Petroleum, granted OPL 302 for ten years on June 26, 1991 has as directors Adewunmi Sijuade, Goke Sijuade, Adedeji Sijuade, Olayinka Sijuade, Adeyemi Osiyemi and Femisola Awosika with A. O. Adeyinka as chairman. Solgas Nigeria Limited, granted OPL 226 for five years on February 27, 1991 has as directors Oscar P. Udoji, P.E…
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I saw these brand-new cars released by Anambra State Government for security in Anambra and I was happy. But then I zoomed on the cars and saw the Toyota logo on them and became sad. Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company is owned by an Anambra man and was situated in Anambra State instead of Lagos or PH because the founder wanted to help develop the state and provide employment in the state. Gov Peter Obi patronized the company and always campaigned for other states and the FG to patronize it. I have seen some state governments using IVM vehicles. But…
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… Claimed a Whooping N1.257 Billion for “Lunch For Policemen” and expenses for “Private Guards” In 2012 … Bogus Payments To Airlines To Distribute Currency Nationwide Exposed … Operated Bogus Expense Heads To Hide Fraudulent Activities … CBN Has Held An Account With A Balance Of N1.423 Billion For An Unknown Customer Since 2008. Following Thursday’s suspension of Mr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as Governor of the Central Bank by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, THEWILL has exclusively obtained a copy of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria report that ripped apart the 2012 audited financial statement of the apex bank…
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Should this case not be reopened for trial?. Is he still a sacred cow? The case before the presidency and NNPC were blackmailed with the $49, 20, 18, 12 billion allegations…….. Being determined to urgently re-position the Central Bank of Nigeria for greater efficiency, respect for due process and accountability, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has ordered the immediate suspension of Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi from the Office of Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.” The move to sack Sanusi had long been rumored in the media as far back as June, last year. It was however smothered by intervening…
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The son of the former Emir of Kano, the late Ado Bayero, Usman Ado Bayero, and two others yesterday filed a case at the Kano State High Court challenging the emergence of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 14th Emir of Kano. The plaintiffs, Usman Ado Bayero, Sadiq Yahaya and Hamza Madaki Cigari, are praying the court to sack the Emir of Kano with immediate effect. They alleged that a number of irregularities trailed the selection process which produced Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the Emir of Kano. According to their counsel, Lady Rose Mbata Esq, an Appeal Court…
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I’ve read several opinions on this matter and most of them are emotional rather than logical. Let’s break this issue down and address them bit by bit. Please note that this is strictly my personal opinion: Q: Was there a diversion? My take: Yes Q: Was the diversion illegal? My take: No, the diversion was not illegal. Ngozi duly got approval for the transfer and the use of the funds. She stated in the memo that the fund was to be shared on a 50-50 basis (security-development). With this approval from the C-in-C, the ‘diversion’, if you can still…
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Igbo Kwenu! Proudly Igbo. As Cosmas Maduka Covers Forbes Magazine. Cosmas Maduka started Coscharis from scratch and built it into a conglomerate. His success story is quite an inspiring one and as he graces the cover of the November 2015 issue of Forbes Africa, we get to take a look into his world. For the magazine he is dubbed ‘The $500-Million Survivor’. His feature outlines his success story – Seven years without pay, showering in the street, scrapping with his brother, fired by his uncle, fired at by his wife’s uncle and more. Cosmas Maduka shares how he survived war,…
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Former President Goodluck Jonathan has been chosen to present the keynote address at the 2016 Hope Global Forums conference. The programme is scheduled to hold in the second week of January in Atlanta, United States. President Bill Clinton performed a role similar to that of Jonathan at the 2015 event which gathered over 3, 000 leaders from 40 countries. The letter of invitation was jointly signed by Andrew Young, Operation Hope global spokesman, Kasim Reed, mayor of Atlanta and John Hope Bryant, Operation Hope chief executive. They urged the former president to lend his support to an entrepreneurship mentoring programme,…
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I The National Population Commission (NPC) on Thursday said the conduct of a comprehensive National Census in 2016 is not feasible due to factors beyond the commission.Addressing a media forum in Abuja, the Federal Commissioner representing Enugu State on the Board of the Commission, Dr Festus Uzor, said the commission needs more time to prepare for the census as it requires 1.1 million enumerators and over 50, 000 supervisors to effectively cover the country. He said the earliest feasible time for the census will be in 2017 twenty-seventeen. Dr Uzor, therefore, appealed to Nigerians and the federal government to…
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In response to the Central bank of Nigeria, CBN, barring access to 41 items, foreign airlines in Nigeria have threatened to cut flights into the country due to the apex bank’sinability to remit N597bn, representing $3bn of ticket sales proceeds. It had earlier been reported that most of the foreign companies had taken alternative routes to Ghana with some planning presently planning to leave due to Government’s negligence regarding electricity, forex among others. Pandemonium earlier broke out as Virgin Atlantic Airways was reported to have laid off not less than 20 of their air-hostesses with plans to completely pull…
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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the office of the accountant-general of the federation (OAGF) on Wednesday could not make clear statements regarding who authorised the one percent service charge drawn by Systemspecs for mopping of funds and remitting them to the single treasury account (TSA). The senate probe followed a motion by Dino Melaye (Kogi west) in November alleging an abuse and mismanagement of the TSA and looted funds under the watchful eyes of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari. Making his presentation at a public hearing organised by the joint senate committee on finance and public accounts, Godwin Emefiele,…
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THE recent statement by H.E. Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State to the effect that the Second Niger Bridge has gulped N140 billion in consultancy services is misleading; the facts prove otherwise. How could a project whose total cost is put at N108 billion spend N140 billion in consultancy alone? Unfortunately, the statement has raised much dust and is capable of putting Nigeria in bad light. By giving the erroneous impression that corruption has crept into the newly conceived mega bridge project, the international community, especially, willing investors in the project, could be scared away, which is not in…
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The maiden lecture on Leadership Development of GOTNI in partnership with National Youth Corps (NYSC) kicked off yesterday at the NYSC Camp in Kubwa Abuja. This GOTNI-NYSC partnership is supposed to mark the commencement of a new phase of value addition to the NYSC program which is a mandatory training exercise for all graduate participants. This initiative will focus on teaching the youths on development of their leadership skills, eschew corrupt practices and capitalise on their strengths, morals and integrity to actualize their growth and personal boost needed to make Nigeria stand out in the world. The leadership training…
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In the full exercise of human rights in Nigeria, the sharp contradiction has always been the dissonant spirit of Chapter 4 and Chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution. In Chapter 4 of the Constitution, there is an elaborate provision for civil and political aspects of human rights; yet, the fundamental objectives and directive principles of State Policy, which provides for social, economic and cultural rights in chapter 2 of the Constitution, remains not justiciable. Thankfully, similar rights are incorporated in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap A9) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria,…
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“…If there is crisis in any state of the federation and there is need to mobilize resources for security agencies, the next thing you hear from whoever is the President of Nigeria is ‘call me the GMD’. If a leader of one of the ECOWAS countries visited and was genuflecting before our president about how rough things were for his country (and may be later behind closed doors, for himself), the instant instruction would be, ‘call me the GMD’…” The foregoing is taken from my column, “Sanusi’s Letter, Jonathan’s Burden”, published on this page on 9th January last year and…
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Leaders of various Yoruba organisations on Tuesday rose from a one-day summit in Akure, Ondo State capital and tasked the federal government to look critically into the causes of the separatist feelings and initiate constitutional reforms to give sense of belonging to all the constituent units of the country. The challenge was one of the communiqué of the summit, which was the second in the series after the one held in Ibadan, Oyo State. The meeting held at the newly built Ondo State event centre named “Dome” was attended by representatives of various Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisations like…
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Six months into the current administration is enough time to look at the direction the country is heading under the Buhari/Osinbajo regime. As citizens we are joint stakeholders in the nation’s destiny. As voters who voted for change, we are also concerned about the sustenance of the change regime. By every definition, therefore, we have every right – in fact, a duty – to bring out what we feel is hampering the success of the government before it is too late. In short, President Buhari should know that we will not keep quiet when we see things going wrong. The…
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South African investors are moving their money out of the country at the fastest pace ever. Portfolio investment abroad jumped to the biggest quarterly outflow on record, the South African Reserve Bank said on Tuesday in its third-quarter report. Investors more than doubled the amount sent overseas to 24.2 billion rand ($1.66 billion) in the period from 10 billion rand in the previous three months, the central bank said. “The exceptional rand weakness has made retail investors very nervous,” Rhynhardt Roodt, an analyst at Investec Asset Management Pty Ltd., which oversees about $105 billion, said by phone from Cape Town.…
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In a November 25 article on South African business and finance news platform Fin24, Solly Moeng described South Africa’s Nhlanhla Nene as a minister, who unlike his colleagues, understands what needs to be done and is serious about accomplishing it. But he seemed to have gone too far when the National Treasury which he heads intervened to prevent lossmaking national airline, South African Airways, from rearranging a deal with Airbus spearheaded by South African Airways chair Dudu Myeni , a friend of President Jacob Zuma who also chairs the president’s foundation. But that was not the only offence noticed; Nene…
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SAYS THIS LEVEL OF PERSECUTION AND HARASSMENT UNPRECEDENTED, SIGNALS DANGER OF FIGHTING CORRUPTION IN OFFICE. As part of the campaign of falsehood against former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala by Edo Governor, Adams Oshiomhole and other powerful and corrupt interests, another baseless story has been published by some online media. To achieve their evil propaganda objective of tarnishing her name, these evil elements have distorted the contents of a memo dated January 20, 2015 in which the former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala responded to a request by the former National Security Adviser, Col Ibrahim Dasuki (retired) for…
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Let me start by acknowledging the decision of Mr. President to appoint a Permanent Secretary from the private sector to the Power Ministry in the person of Mr. Louis Edozein. I am happy to say that of all the people I have spoken to over the last few days who claim to know him, nobody has a bad word to say about him. I will need his vast knowledge in the industry to guide our choices and decisions. Let me also acknowledge the work that the Vice President and his Power Advisory team have done in advance of our arrival…
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The Global Financial Integrity (GFI) ranked Nigeria after South Africa as the 10 biggest exporter of Illicit Financial Flows (IFF) between 2004 and 2013. In a statement on Wednesday in Lagos issued by the Media Contact for GFI, Ms Christine Clough, GFI said the record was obtained from 20 emerging and developed economies worldwide. It said that China came first with 139.2 billion dollars ouflow, followed by Russia (about 105 billion billion), Mexico came third with 52.8 billion dollars, while Poland came last with nine billion dollars outflow. GFI said cumulatively emerging economies exported 1.1 trillion dollars (about N217 trillion)…
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Twenty judges and magistrates of the Circuit Court previously suspended by the Ghana Judicial Council, for allegedly taking bribe to subvert justice have been dismissed. Their dismissal followed the recommendation by the committee constituted by the Chief Justice, Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, to investigate the bribery allegation brought against them. The Chief Justice, who announced the dismissal at a press conference, explained that they violated the constitution of the Republic of Ghana, just as she vowed to uphold the integrity of the judiciary. Some of the affected judges and magistrates were dismissed without benefits, while some will be entitled to…
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TSA: CBN admits contract with Remita •N2tr collected from MDAs, says Emefiele Bureaucracy and professionalism clashed yesterday in Abuja. Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele and Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) Ahmed Idris were locked in arguements over the controversial Treasury Single Account (TSA) with SystemSpecs Limited, owner of Remita, an electronic payment solution. But SystemSpecs Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John Obaro insisted that his platform had a valid contract with the CBN and deserved to earn its charge as contained in the contract. Emefiele, Idris and Obaro spoke at a public hearing on alleged abuse and…
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The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Babatunde Fowler as chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS.Mr. Fowler was appointed acting chairman of the agency by President Muhammadu Buhari on August 20 to replace Samuel Odugbesan, a former coordinating director at the agency, who was appointed to the position by former President Goodluck Jonathan in March this year. The new FIRS boss was the executive chairman of the Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue from 2005 to 2014. He had his higher education in the United States where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Wisconsin…
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David Brooks. After the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, some people’s minds flew to the materialistic element of the atrocity — the guns that were used in the killing. But the crucial issue, it seems to me, is what you might call the technology of persuasion — how is it that the Islamic State is able to radicalize a couple living in Redlands, Calif.? What psychological tools does it possess that enable it to wield this far-flung influence? The best source of wisdom on this general subject is still “The True Believer,” by Eric Hoffer, which he wrote back in…
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Floods of depressing news have been gushing out in the last few days on the misuse and abuse of public funds in the last administration. Billions of dollars collected from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in the name of security. Billions of naira collected from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the same purpose. Billions of naira doled out to pay for PDP’s publicity from security budget. This is to say nothing of the other billions and billions and billions scammed out of the system through many government agencies, at state and federal levels. That is why no…
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Whenever President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress chant ‘change’, do not focus on the ordinary dictionary definition but wait for their official meaning of change. Nkiruka Okoh writes If a poll was taken on the most used word in the vocabulary of Nigerians in 2015, Change will take the cake. While the word itself portrays positivity – a deviation from the norm – activities leading to and post the 2015 general election in Nigeria have somewhat mangled the true meaning of the word and have swapped it to mean collective amnesia. The brains behind the Nigerian…
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President Buhari and the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, when the latter presented the complete list of the ministerial nominees to the president…no more excuses Over six months after assuming office, both the executive and legislative arms of government have finally set up structures for operations. As such, excuses for delayed take-off should cease forthwith. Omololu Ogunmade writes Now that the full structures of government have been fully installed, the polity can now heave a sigh of relief from the tension that arose from the delay in the take-off of the government of President Muhammadu Buhari. The nation…
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The immediate past governor of Lagos who governed Lagos between 2007 – 2015, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN who was sworn in as the Honourable Minister for Power, Works and Housing, newly created through an unprecedented consolidation of the three hitherto distinct ministries, by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday 11th November, 2015, has lauded the achievements of the immediate past President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on construction of roads. Fashola during his first news conference tagged “Setting the Agenda for Delivering Change” said that the immediate past President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has constructed more…
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The founding fathers of the American society in the bid to win their freedom from Britain didn’t say,”wait until we get there,” enough to know what to do, how to run the affairs of the country when they get there. They knew what to do and framed agreements and concessions for a just society before they got there. It was no wonder then that they decreed religious freedom for all, tolerance for all even though that country was founded on christian principles. It was no wonder that the North took up arms against the south and other confederate states…
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It will take some time for those Douglas Anele fondly refers to as Buharimaniacs to realize that, in a democracy, there is nothing definitive about the outcome of an election. When an election has been concluded, those who opposed the winner are not required to shut up or go into exile. They are required to go into opposition. Those who opposed the winner are not defeated. As a matter of fact, their opposition may be justified subsequently by the actions and inactions of the winner. In his six months in office, President Buhari has done little to change the view…
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More than 45 years ago, Nigeria was nearly divided by a bloody civil war that led to the deaths of over a million people. Now, a revival in secessionist sentiment in southeastern Nigeria, among supporters of the historical state of Biafra, threatens to undermine President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision of a united Nigeria and spill over into regional violence. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of southern Nigeria in recent weeks following the arrest of a prominent pro-Biafran activist, who has been accused by Nigerian authorities of hate speech and treason. As well as demanding their colleague’s release, some…
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Nigeria’s Naira has struggled against the dollar since the 80s. (Reuters/Joe Penney)Since 1986, the Nigerian naira’s relationship with the US dollar (and other foreign currencies) has been erratic, (un)predictable, violent and full of heartbreak and tears. The built in dysfunction has also made a lot of people very rich. This piece seeks to trace the history of how Nigeria’s foreign exchange management became what it is to the point where the exchange rate of the naira has become a deeply political matter. The current debate continues to be around whether or not Nigeria should devalue the naira. But what if…
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None of the nation’s four refineries of 445,000 barrels per day combined capacity has come back on stream few days to the end of the 90-day fast-track ultimatum given for their revival. Three of the refineries in Warri, Kaduna and the 150,000 bpd Port Harcourt plant had resumed production of refined petroleum products in July after undergoing rehabilitation, but two were shut down in August, while the Port Harcourt refinery stopped operation in September. The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, told our correspondent in a telephone interview on Monday that…
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The Organization of Emerging African States (OEAS), an international governmental organization that promotes self-determination and the end to colonial era boundaries in Africa has outlined reasons why there should a snap referendum for Biafra Republic. OEAS noted that if there is a secession, all “Property of the federal government within the borders of Biafra will become property of Biafra. The Nigerian government however will retain all national debt. Biafra will then release the Nigerian government from any obligation to pay reparations for crimes committed during the war of independence 1967-1970.” OEAS noted that as of today the people of Biafra…
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In Nigeria there exists a non-market non-governmental extortionist technostructure that is nameless but for the purpose of convenience we shall call it the ONT (i.e. the Owners of Nigeria Technostructure). Analogous to the concept of the market technostructure propounded by John Kenneth Galbraith in which corporate bureaucrats had more power than shareholders and the focus of corporate activity was more on survival than profits, the ONT holds more power than market shareholders / leaders and government administrators, respectively or combined, and is focused on the survival of the nation’s economy to serve it interests rather than national prosperity. It…
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The “Sambo Scandal” (concerning one Col Sambo Dasuki) is just another story when compared to the full scale of looting in Nigeria; it’s just ‘Hot Air’ and Hollywood. The Government of Nigeria (GON) since the military regime of Yakubu Gowon has squandered around $1 trillion on nothing but personal enrichment and the provision of mostly shoddy goods and services to Nigerians. Call it the “national cake” (that has no bakery) or the “pot of soup” (that has no kitchen), Nigeria’s wealth is on a daily basis being shared like cake and soup at parties for and by the “Owners of…
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Tim Newman is a British expatriate working in the Oil and Gas industry. He also has a blog on desertsun.co.uk. It makes for an interesting read, but be prepared to trek through the paragraphs. Okay, so now I’ve got a post about Melbourne out of the way it’s time for me to say a little something about Nigeria. With the exception of a week in October when I need to clear out my apartment, I’ve pretty much left Nigeria. My assignment there officially finished on 31st July, although I will have to return for business trips over the…
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Six months after taking power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been factionalised into two camps in Kaduna State. The new APC group which called itself “True APC” has the following as members: retired permanent secretary, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, Hajiya Hafsat Baba, former ANPP chairman, Alhaji Kabir Umar, former education commissioner, Mr. Tom Mataimaki Maiyashi, Alhaji Lawal Maiturare, Nasiru Ahmed; special adviser on strategy to Senator Shehu Sani and Murtala Abubakar who is the publicity secretary. The group accused the state governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, of hijacking party apparatus and derailing from…
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The Vatican has signed its first inter-governmental deal with the US known as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), aimed at curbing offshore tax evasion and cleaning up the reputation of its scandal-plagued bank. Under the new agreement the Holy See has agreed to automatically report information on Vatican Bank accounts held by American citizens. For a long time the bank has been accused by Italian authorities of being an offshore tax haven. More than 15,000 Americans are said to have accounts at the Vatican Bank, though the exact number is unknown. “Signing the present agreement is… a further…
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The secession call by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) continues to generate responses and interpretations from Nigerians. However, some of these responses and interpretations do not conceptualize the problem properly. Hence, they tend to exclude the critical issues and questions at a deeper, sober and more critical level. For example, while some interpreters see an “ethnic problem” e.g. an “Igbo question” others in order to appear “above ethnic politics” see “an ethnic problem” but which is an “identity politics” which elites play. In this regard, such interpreters do not see a national question, or at least they do…
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The trouble with Nigeria is not squarely a problem of leadership but a problem of the structure of our federalism. The structure of Nigeria’s federalism is not only faulty but equally breeds corruption, abnormality, underdevelopment and unproductivity. The skewed system of Nigeria’s federalism corrupts good leaders, both young and old. Until Nigeria restructures its federalism from being skewed to being truly fiscal, nothing is likely going to work out well for the country.Over the years, Nigeria has pretended to have adopted a federal system of government, but it is one in which all the basic features of true federalism are…
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The Finnish government is currently drawing up plans to introduce a national basic income. A final proposal won’t be presented until November 2016, but if all goes to schedule, Finland will scrap all existing benefits and instead hand out 800 euros per month—to everyone.It sounds far-fetched, but it’s looking likely that Finland will carry through with the idea. Whereas several Dutch cities will introduce basic income next year and Switzerland is holding a referendum on the subject, there is strongest political and public support for the idea in Finland. A poll commissioned by the government agency planning the proposal,…
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The trouble with Nigeria is not squarely a problem of leadership but a problem of the structure of our federalism. The structure of Nigeria’s federalism is not only faulty but equally breeds corruption, abnormality, underdevelopment and unproductivity. The skewed system of Nigeria’s federalism corrupts good leaders, both young and old. Until Nigeria restructures its federalism from being skewed to being truly fiscal, nothing is likely going to work out well for the country. Over the years, Nigeria has pretended to have adopted a federal system of government, but it is one in which all the basic features of true federalism…
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#TrueFiscalFederalism remains the solution to Nigeria’s problem. President Buhari can only become our Messiah if and only if he restructures the government into a Fiscal Federalism. If he doesn’t, he will only end up being overwhelmed by the criminality of the present political structure. I have now come to the firm conclusion that Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP were actually not the problem of Nigeria. And also, President Buhari and the APC are likely not to be the solution to Nigeria’s seemingly endless problems. The problem with Nigeria is the structure of its federalism. The existing federal structure does not…
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170 Teenage Girls Abducted Under Buhari and Everyone is Silent I am stunned by the silence of Nigerians over the abduction of over 170 teenage girls from Bam village, near Buratai, the home town of the Chief-of-Army-Staff, in Borno State. Is it the intensity of the Boko Haram and Fulani Militia killings since Buhari took over that has made us so insensitive to acts of violence like this? Are we facing pity fatigue? We must not tire of confronting terror and staring it down. We must not be afraid of fighting for our freedom from those who would rob us…
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The naira fell against the United States dollar from 243 to 247 at the parallel market on Thursday, a day after the Central Bank of Nigeria banned over 1,600 Bureau De Change operators from participating in its twice-weekly sale of foreign currencies. The naira had hovered between 241 and 243 before falling to 247 on the streets of Lagos and Abuja.(Today Dec 5 it hit the 250 level) The CBN had on Wednesday stopped BDC operators who failed to render appropriate returns on the utilisation of previous forex purchased from it. Out of the over 2,800 BDCs that applied…
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The Department of State Services (DSS) has alerted the public that “the Boko Haram terrorist group has continued to establish and operate sleeper cells whose (sole) mandates are to conduct surveillance and carry out subsequent attacks in the FCT.” “This disclosure has become necessary following the arrests of the sect’s members who migrated from various conflict theatres in the North East to the FCT in order to enable them capitalise on the excitement of the yuletide season to launch attacks in the city,” DSS said in a statement by Tony Opuiyo and issued this morning in Abuja. Continuing, Opuiyo…
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Former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was one of the distinguished recipients honoured at an all-star event in New York, USA, on December 1 for services to humanity and the fight against poverty and HIV/AIDS. She received the award from two respected international advocacy groups, ONE and RED, alongside Bill & Melinda Gates, philanthropist Mo Ibrahim and former New York Mayor and media mogul, Michael Bloomberg. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala and her co-honourees were recognised at a grand event marking the tenth anniversary of the advocacy groups. Former US President Bill Clinton and current Vice President Joe Biden were in attendance.…
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Goods estimated to be worth multi billions of naira have been consumed by a midnight fire which razed several blocks of shops at Sabon-Gari Market, Kano, a report from the area said. A Daily Trust report said the inferno started at about 10pm yesterday. It quoted Mallam Garba Abdullahi, one of the traders whose shops were razed, as saying that the fire is suspected to have started from a shop used for commercial charging point by mobile phone users. “We are suspecting that the fire started from a commercial GSM phones charging joint,” he said. The report said…
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One would naturally wonder why the writer choose to go with this kind of heading at a time like this when there are many disgruntled Nigerians youths trending a hashtag #NoToSocialMediaBill which the legislative arm of Nigerian government is looking at passing and make it a law to criminalize any frivolity and libel on Social Media. Let us critically look at the root cause that necessitated the Senate to take the option of sanitizing Nigerian Social Media, of course Nigeria is a country that practices democracy since the handing over of power from the military to civilian government in 1999…
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Confucius, the ancient Chinese philosopher, once gave a remarkable admonishment: ‘Study the past if you would define the future.’ And for Edmund Burke, once we take historical knowledge for granted, then we are doomed to repeat those terrible mistakes of the past. There is no better preface on the significance of historical insights into Nigeria’s administrative trajectory. History, any history for that matter, is not a list of boring stories of what had gone by. On the contrary, history is a rich tapestry of human actions and inaction, and the multiplicity of consequences that flows from them. Nigeria’s administrative history…
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Fellow Nigerians, the roof is on fire. And the owners of the house should not sleep and snore lest they get badly burnt. Please, let no one treat or dismiss this Biafra controversy as humbug because it is very serious and has the potential of spiralling out of control and snowballing into an unprecedented conflagration of unquenchable propensities. War has never been a tea party. I was about seven years old when the Nigerian civil war broke out in July 1967. I was a child but not too young not to know and understand some of what was happening.…
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I read from the Daily Sun Newspaper edition of March 10th 2015 page 6, a statement credited to Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State. The statement read thus, “The worst thing that can happen to a family is to have a bad father and the worst thing that can happen to a country is bad leadership” unquote. Honestly, I was dazed by that statement coming from the mouth of Okorocha. Dazed in the sense that it was a self indictment on one hand and an open confession on the other hand. Of course, a bad father is a curse…
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There is this man with a deceptive appearance from the South-east, Imo State to be precise, who pretends he has what it takes to be the president of Nigeria. In his convoluted and banal imagination, he believes he is the best thing to have come out of the South-east. His snow-white teeth and seductive smile were put to good use in the 2011 governorship election which he won. He won not necessarily because he was the best of a bad lot, but more because the people got carried away with the freshness of his candidacy and maybe his charming smile.…
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AN Israeli researcher, Dr. Joseph Shevel has attributed the low investment in education by Nigerian politicians to the fact that the sector takes a long time to mature, saying it was for that reason that the country’s politicians prefer to invest in areas that would assure them quick returns. In a keynote address he delivered at the third international conference organized by the Faculty of Social Sciences of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Shevel, who is the President of Galilee Institute, Israel and a member of Israeli Prime Minister’s committee on Social Policy, described education as the future for any nation…
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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said it would not have lost the last presidential election to President Muhammadu Buhari if the party’s women wing had a significant role to play before and during the election. The party added that what would happen to the PDP in the future largely “depends on the women because they are more committed, more determined, more understanding, more patient and more futuristic in politics. The party’s National Women Leader, Ambassador Kema Chikwe, made the remark at the PDP South- west zonal town hall meeting she addressed in Lagos yesterday, urging women to occupy other…
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The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria said on Friday it had received information that groups “associated with terrorism” may be planning attacks against hotels in the country that are frequented by Westerners. In a brief message for U.S. citizens, the embassy said it had no further information regarding the timing or method of any planned attacks. “The U.S. Mission advises all U.S. citizens to be vigilant when at hotels and around areas frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers locations where large crowds may gather; and government facilities,” the statement said. Last month, 20 people, including one American, were killed in an…
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There was near pandemonium and confusion at the Annual Global African Investment Forum held in Westminster, Central London after a heated exchange between Ghana’s President John Mahama and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo degenerated into open insults. This was due to General Obasanjo openly accusing the Ghanaian president and his government of blackmailing and collecting bribes from Nigerian businessmen in Ghana,buying numerous properties in Nigeria and South Africa and financiallycontributing 12 million dollars to Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign last year. This infuriated President Mahama who lost his temper and pointing his finger, called General Obasanjo an ” idiot” and a “silly…
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The chairman of the Security Councils of the United Nations, Raimonda Murmokaite, officially declared from New York on Wednesday that after World War II ended, several countries have declared against the forces called itself Islamic State or ISIS. An association of countries was held includes: The U.S, Russia, Germany, France, Iran and Iraq. All member had agreement together to destroy ISIS after they attacked France and Lebanon. According to the Security Councils of the UN, the war which involves five countries or more is considered a World War. Similarly, the president of Security Councils of the UN announced that…
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MTN Group Ltd. had its record fine in Nigeria increased $500 million to $3.9 billion after the country’s telecommunications regulator said it wrote the incorrect penalty in an earlier letter to Africa’s largest phone company. “There was a typo,” Nigerian Communication Commission spokesman Tony Ojobo said by phone on Friday, referring to a letter dated Dec. 2 that reduced the original $5.2 billion penalty to $3.4 billion. “The reduction should have been 25 percent. We saw the mistake and had to fix it.” MTN spokesman Chris Maroleng declined to comment. The shares traded 4.7 percent lower at 133.40 rand as…
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Much of the financial assistance announced by President Xi is likely to focus on infrastructure projects. China has announced $60bn (£40bn) of assistance and loans for Africa to help with the development of the continent. President Xi Jinping said the package would include zero-interest loans as well as scholarships and training for thousands of Africans. The Chinese leader made the announcement at a major summit between China and Africa in Johannesburg. South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma welcomed the deepening partnership with Africa’s biggest trading partner. He said that China and the African continent each made up a third of the…
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The growing anti-Rochas Okorocha sentiments in Imo State, has taken a new twist, as his effigy that was installed in his Ideato South country home was destroyed by unknown persons. The statue, which depicted Governor Rochas Okorocha on a horse back and mounted at the Ogboko Junction, along the Orlu-Urualla federal highway, as the frenzy over his gubernatorial success was at its peak. According to Vanguard who rushed to the scene of the destruction, on getting wind of the news, noticed that the effigy had been brought down and damaged beyond redemption. Although the state government and its functionaries has…
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Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has stated that government at the federal, states and local levels must do more to create jobs.He gave the advise at the 10th anniversary and 6th and 7th convocation ceremonies of Tai Solarin University of Education, TASUED, Ijagun, Ijebu Ode. “If there is no job for the unemployed to feed themselves and also to contribute to the development of the country, then, we will all be sitting on gun powder. “If university education was not for development then, it was not serving any useful purpose. It must be for development, personal, local, national and…
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Goods worth millions of naira were completely destroyed yesterday after fire razed Sabon Gari market, in Kano State. The fire broke out around 7pm on Thursday evening. It was gathered that the inferno raged for more than 30 minutes before firefighters arrived at the market. Some traders at the market expressed sadness over the incident, which it was alleged was caused by a power surge.
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Telecommunications giant, MTN, is seeking a further reduction in the fine slammed on it by the Nigerian government.MTN had been fined $5.2bn by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, for failing to disconnect unregistered subscribers from its network. However, Nigerian authorities had slashed the fine by 30 percent to $3.2bn and gave the South African company Dec. 31 to pay up. It was gathered that the decision to reduce the fine was taken by President Buhari’s office, which passed on the information to the NCC on Wednesday. However, Reuters reports that management of the troubled company is still pleading with the…
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Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, stalwart of All Progressives Congress (APC), will on Dec. 7, launch a book about the party and how it came to power. This is according to a statement signed in Abuja on Thursday by Mr Sunny Onyeukwu, the book’s event coordinator. The statement said the book titled: ”From Opposition to Governing Party: Nigeria’s APC Merger Story” is a 470-page book, published by Landmark Book. It said: “Dr Onu told the story of why and how Africa’s first successful merger of major opposition political parties which made history by winning the 2015 general election in Nigeria, was…
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The majority of incidents reported have been classed as ‘harassment’ by the Met Police The number of Muslims attacked each week in London has more than tripled since the Paris attacks, figures show. The Met said in the week prior to the attacks on 13 November there were 24 recorded Islamophobic incidents. Two weeks after there were 76. Mussurut Zia from the Muslim Women’s Network UK said the community was “fearful” but people of other faiths had come forward in “solidarity”. The Met said “regretfully” hate crime increased during “difficult times”. The force’s figures show the annual number of…
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World Health Organisation has carried out the first ever global estimates of food-borne diseases. The estimated reveal that not less than 420,000 people died yearly from eating contaminated food. The report also showed that as many as 600 million, (one in 10 people) in the world, fall ill annually. While reacting to the report, Director-General of WHO, Dr Margaret Chan said “ it is regrettable that 30 percent of all deaths from foodborne diseases are in children under the age of five years, despite the fact that they make up only 9 percent of the global population. “Children under 5…
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A cross section of Nigerians have expressed outrage over a bill seeking a two-year jail term for any person who makes an allegation or publishes any statement or petition in newspaper, radio and social media networks, including Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp. The bill passed the second reading in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly yesterday. The bill, which was sponsored by Senator Ibn Na’Allah, All Progressives Congress (APC), Kebbi South, frowns at posting of what he described as inciting statements on any medium of whatever description, against another person, institutions of government or any public office holder. According to…
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The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has approved March 19, 2016 for the party`s national convention. This is contained in the time-table for the party’s 2016 Chapter Congresses and National Convention signed by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in Abuja on Thursday. According to the time-table, the party’s Ward Congresses is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2016, while the NWC also approved March 5, 2016 for the party’s Local Government Area Congresses. The NWC also approved March 12, 2016 for State Congresses and March 16, 2016 for its Zonal Congresses.
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China emerged from chaos 35 years ago to become perhaps the largest economy in the world. The BBC’s Martin Patience – who has just moved from Beijing to Lagos – asks if Nigeria can do the same. Swapping Asia’s giant for Africa’s powerhouse can be a disorientating experience. Leaving Beijing to go and live in Lagos is not a well-worn path. But both Nigeria and China are the most populous countries and biggest economies in their respective continents, making them ripe for comparison. I feel I’ve left behind the grey, imposing order of Beijing for the chaos and colour of…
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The Peoples Democratic Party has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission and other security agents against aiding the All Progressives Congress in rigging Saturday’s governorship election in the state. The PDP spokesperson, Olisa Metuh, who addressed a press conference at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, said the warning became necessary because the party “have now become fully aware that the commission, in collaboration with security forces, intends to rig the election as they did in October 31 Borno Senatorial bye-election”. Mr. Metuh said INEC officials and security operatives were used to swap results in favour of the APC in…
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OUR DIVERSITY IS A BLESSING The diversity of our Nigerian nation is such a beauty. A glorious demonstration of God’s very own nature. Yet when diversity is not appreciated, it is abused and perverted. “Celebrate diversity, practice acceptance and may we all choose peaceful options to conflict.” ― Donzella Michele Malone If Nigeria had not consisted of these over 500 tribes, we would not have been as big and great as we are today. Today, Nigeria is the 7th most populous country in the world and could soon become the third most populous in a number of years to come…
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WHAT IS MARGINALIZATION? I pray that no Nigerian tribe, nationality or ethnic group will experience marginalization. As I am writing this, there are nations in the world that know firsthand what marginalization means in the real sense. For a student of history, it is difficult to accept the accusation against Nigeria that Nigeria has not been fair to the Biafran nation. As I have said above, the Igbo people and the Biafran people have occupied every political, economic and military position in the Nigerian nation. A fact that should become a thing of pride for Nigeria is that Nigeria was…
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BIAFRA ALREADY EXISTS I am particularly astonished by my fellow countrymen who are agitating for an independent Biafran Republic. In my own opinion, I believe they already have it. There are no less than 5 autonomous states that are being ruled and governed by Igbo people. If you want to count just the Igbo nation, I don’t remember any time since the 1999 democracy, that a Hausa person or a representative of any other tribe has become the leader, governor or mayor of an Igbo state or city. The Igbo people have their land to themselves. These lands have not…
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As a Nigerian, I only managed to live in the country for the first 19 years of my life, but the Nigerian factor is so strong that it is not letting me go 30 years later. Even though I have lived in other countries more than I ever lived in Nigeria, yet the connection, the upbringing, the culture, the attachment and the Nigerian embodiment have all been so strong in me, that I am a Nigerian and will always be one. I, like many other Nigerians living abroad, have had the opportunity of changing my nationality by naturalization to become…
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In the eight years of Obasanjo’s presidency, there was no headline-grabbing demand for Biafra. Ditto for the eight years of the Yar’Adua/Jonathan presidency. However, within months of Buhari’s presidency, the Igbo demand for Biafra has become deafening. Without a doubt, the blame for this new impetus must be laid firmly at the doorstep of President Buhari. Moreover, rather than attenuate it, the president and the APC have exacerbated separatist tendencies in the country. This was part of the reason why people like me did not support Buhari’s election as president of Nigeria. I have written severally in Vanguard that Nigeria…
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Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido has accused the All Progressives Congress, of dividing the country, ethnically and politically. Lamido says the new ruling party is presently guilty of everything the Peoples Democratic Party, was accused of, during the last administration. While receiving an award of excellent service in Kano, Lamido said: “I may sound a little different of what is today Nigeria. Because in today Nigeria, everything is politics and there are very strong divides. “One is either here or there and even those who are arbiters or referees or monitors if stand on your own belief you…
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The decision by the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Mr. Danladi Umar to openly debate a matter before him might have opened an unsavoury chapter in his present travails, writes Shola Oyeyipo. In the gathering of humankind, judges are ‘classified immortals’. Through enviable social stratification, their humanity comes with a degree of preternatural exemption that is assumed to wield the power of “life and death”. Therefore, here on earth, judges are some sort of Supreme Being, which explains why they are referred to as “Lord”. But whilst they boast this huge advantage over others, such a privilege also…
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Question: You have been very vocal lately in dismissing and trashing the then federal military government’s post-civil war efforts at the 3 Rs: Reconstruction, Reconciliation and Rehabilitation. What don’t you agree with? AKPABIO: As a young man, you definitely will not understand me. But I was a victim of the Civil War. I was one of those who suffered the pains of the war. I was born sometime in 1962; the civil war came really into our area in 1967. So, I was probably five or six years old during the war; and if I had been around nine…
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The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has condemned Tuesday’s arrest of television and radio proprietor, Raymond Dokpesi, and other opposition people by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The party also said that it had been made aware that more notable PDP leaders have similarly been listed for arrest over “unproven allegations” pursuant to the plot by the governing All Progressives Congress, APC to cow and silence opposition in the country. The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Tuesday said the military style of pronouncement of guilt on Mr. Dokpesi before any fair hearing, betrays the…
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Some labour unions have called on the Federal Government to urgently address the on-going scarcity of petroleum products or face the wrath of labour. The unions, in separate statements made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos, said that Nigerians would protest attempt to use the shortage to increase the price of fuel. Dr Dipo Fashina and Mr Abiodun Aremu, Chairman and Secretary respectively, Joint Action Front (JAF) said that Nigerians were looking forward to the government to provide the means to end poverty, hunger and joblessness instead of fuel scarcity. “Nigerians want the government…
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The State of Jersey, the biggest territory in the Channels Island, is set to return to Nigeria £315 million stolen by a former military head of state, Sani Abacha. The Ballif of Jersey, Michael Birt, stated this at a dinner in honour of Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, Dalhatu Tafida, during a State visit to the Island. Mr. Birt, who doubles as the Island’s Civic Head of State and ceremonial head, is the highest ranking official in the Jersey order of precedence. The Island, famous for its transparent banking services, had previously repatriated in two tranches £140 million pounds…
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The South African telecoms giant MTN has won a respite from a $5 billion fine at the very last moment. The penalty was imposed by Nigeria over unregistered SIM cards. It also triggered the CEO’s resignation. South African telecom giant MTN was due to pay $5.2 billion (4.9 billion euros) to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) by Monday, November 16, 2015 for failing to deactivate 5.1 million unregistered SIM cards. MTN said on that day it had agreed with the NCC that the fine would not be payable until the end of negotiations entered into by acting MTN executive chairman…
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Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Sunday asked the Federal Government to free detained Biafra activist, Nnamdi Kanu. The Igbo group said such action was necessary to end the increasing pro-Biafra protests and forestall a breakdown of law and order. The meeting was equally attended by representatives of both the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, and the Independent People of Biafra, IPOB. However, all the five Governors in the zone as well as senators and other national assembly members stayed away. In a communique signed by the President and the Secretary, Chief…
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Fuel subsidy claims contained in the 2015 Supplementary Budget submitted to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari has leaped from N413 billion to N521 billion. The original N413 billion subsidy claim included N120.552billion outstanding claims from 2014 and N292.8 billion to cover claims from January to September. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Jamila Soara, who represented the Minister of State, Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, intimated the Senate Committee on Appropriation that is considering the Supplementary Budget that another N108 billion will be required to cover fuel subsidy for October to December. Soara told the committee that Kachikwu was in…
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The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, on its website on Monday, November 30 stated that the nation’s foreign reserves plunged to 30.04 billion dollars as at Nov. 26. The Apex bank said that the figure fell by seven million dollars from 30.11 billion dollars recorded in Oct. 26. It said the 30.04 billion dollars represented the ‘gross’ amount, 29.33 billion dollars was ‘liquid’, while $719.32 million was ‘blocked.’ The nation’s banking regulator said the continuous pressure on the foreign exchange market is due to the rise in the internal demand for dollars. The CBN said that the price of crude…
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The naira plunged further at the parallel market on Monday, November 29, as it lost N0.5 to exchange at N242.5 to the dollar. It was previously exchanged at N242 to the dollar. The local currenvy however, closed at N197 to the dollar at the inter-bank segment. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the naira has continued to slide in spite of the measures adopted by the apex bank to defend the exchange rate. Traders at the market said that there was spike in demand for foreign exchange and this was impacting on the exchange rate of the naira.…
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Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, has said that lack of political will hinders the prosecution of high profile corruption cases in the country. In a statement by Justice Mohammed’s media aide, Mr. Ahuraka Isah, the CJN said this during a meeting with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), alongside other Justices of the Supreme Court and the heads of federal courts. He said “Experience within the judiciary shows that there is an abject lack of political will to prosecute some of those cases pending before our various courts, almost a decade…
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An Open Letter to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari – By Bruce Fein Constitutional Lawyer and Author President Muhammadu Buhari Aso Rock, Abuja Nigeria Dear President Buhari: When you visited the United States Institute of Peace last July, you pledged that you would be “fair, just and scrupulously follow due process and the rule of law, as enshrined in [the Nigerian] constitution” in prosecuting corruption. Such loftiness is laudable. As the Bible instructs in Amos 5:24: “[L]et justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” But to be just, the law must be evenhanded. It cannot, in the…
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Former Minister of National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman, on Sunday, said ex-President Goodluck Jonathan handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari to save the lives of many Nigerians. He also said Jonathan had sufficient evidence to remove the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, but he exercised restraint. Delivering a paper on the 2015 power transition in Nigeria at the annual Zik dinner lecture /award in Abuja, Sulaiman said it was not external pressure that forced Jonathan to hand over to President Buhari. Sulaiman said contrary to general belief, there were cases of compromise by…
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RETIRED Col Hamid Ibrahim Ali, who took over as Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in a very controversial circumstance, is progressing in error. The anomalies his policies are perpetrating in the Nigeria Customs are unhealthy. Col Ali was once a military administrator of Kaduna State (August 1996 to August 1998). Since his retirement, he has been politically active and fought to return Muhammadu Buhari as President. He was in charge of the President’s recent presidential campaign funds and later became his Chief of Staff before his appointment as head of the Nigeria Customs. No doubt, he is the President’s…
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There was an outbreak of violence at the headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja. About 1, 000 youths were at the secretariat of the party where APC leaders were holding a meeting over the Kogi state election. They came in buses marked ‘Dekina’, a local government area in the state. On sighting Yahaya Bello, who arrived at 2:48pm, they went out of control, attempting to attack him. It took the effort of security agents to smuggle Bello from their midst. The youths are believed to be supporters of James Faleke, running mate to the late Abubakar Audu,…
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Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has ordered the probe the Maritime Academy of Nigeria following reports of financial recklessness and fraud emanating from the academy. The academy’s rector, Mr Joshua Okpo reportedly stirred the hornet’s nest after accusing NIMASA for starving the school of funds through the agency’s alleged flagrant refusal to release the statutory five per cent subvention funds to the school. Amaechi was said to have summoned the management of NIMASA to his office and asked why it was sitting on the subvention of MAN, Oron. However, the bubble burst when the minister was told by the acting…
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Following Nigeria’s refusal to devalue its currency (the naira), in-line with IMF recommendations, crude oil traders worldwide have begun to shun Nigerian crude oil over the last several months. Nigeria remains one of the primary sources of “sweet crude” oil grades that is relatively pure crude oil with low levels of sulfuric content. In order to refine heavy oil grades with higher levels of sulfur and other impurities, refineries throughout the world mix sweet crude with other grades of oil to produce its various classes of refined products. Officials in the NNPC and other blocks in the petroleum industry…
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