How Radio Biafra allegedly installed transmitters on MTN masts to broadcast its messages

The Federal Government on Monday revealed that the transmitters used in broadcasting messages from Radio Biafra, were installed on the masts of telecommunication company, MTN in Enugu and Anambra State.
It further stated that the installation of the transmitters on the telecommunications company’s masts was done so as messages of Radio Biafra will enjoy a wider coverage.
This was contained in the case summary of fresh six count-charges the government instituted against the Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, and two others, before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In the case summary signed by Mohammed Diri, the Federal Director of Public Prosecutions accused one of the defendants, David Nwawuisi, who is a field maintenance engineer of being responsible for maintaining the MTN masts in Enugu State.
The other defendant, Benjamin Madubugwu, was alleged to have received a container full of transmitters from the embattled Director.
Diri also alleged that Nwawuisi installed the transmitters on MTN masts “on request by a member of Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB, Chidibere Onwudiwe.”
He said, “The 3rd defendant, Nwawuisi, a Field Maintenance Engineer, charged with the responsibility of maintaining MTN masts in Enugu State, was also arrested in the course of the investigation.”
“He agreed, on the request of an IPOB member, who is at large, Chidebere Onwudiwe, to install and did install IPOB radio transmitters on MTN masts for a consideration.”
The prosecution stated that the transmitters which were smuggled into the country by Kanu, were discovered during a search of Madubugwu’s residence, adding that they are believed to have been installed on the MTN masts between April and May 2015.
Kanu is currently standing trial for charges on treasonable felony, as a result of propaganda spread through the pirate radio station.

Imam allegedly slits 20-year-old lover’s throat in attempt to use her for money ritual [PHOTOS]

There was pandemonium in Mowo 11, Olorunda Local Council Development Area of Badagry, Lagos State, on Tuesday following alleged attempt by an Islamic cleric identified as Mallam Shehu, also known as Alhaji Sambo to use his 20-year-old lover, Busayo Amdalat, for money ritual.
It was learnt that Amdalat, who resides in Ibeju-Lekki, visited the cleric to spend the Christmas holidays.

According to sources, in the early hours of Tuesday the cleric had another visitor known as Ifa.
Following Ifa’s visit, Amdalat was asked to put on a white cloth and when she did, Shehu and his visitor hit her with an iron rod on her head and Ifa started slashing her throat.
The 20-year-old was said to have gathered courage by hitting Ifa on the head with a bottle while he was cutting her throat after which she ran to a nearby street where a carnival was going on.
Residents on seeing Amdalat drenched in a pool of her own blood and injuries on her neck and other parts of her body, rushed her to an undisclosed hospital in the area.
Speaking with Vanguard, a resident who identified himself as Taiwo Abdulraman said on sighting the victim, residents quickly mobilized themselves into two groups: one group went after the cleric and his friend while others rushed her to hospital.

Abdulraman said, “We quickly mobilised and went after him, when we got to his house, we saw blood in parts of the building. There were lots of charms and other fetish substances in his house. We saw the iron rod and the sharp knife he used on her, but we didn’t meet him in the house. We also quickly mobilized and went to his second house at MTN Bus Stop, but he was nowhere to be found.”
The 20-year-old victim while narrating her ordeal said “We both had a quarrel before now for close to three weeks. I knew his first wife before she died but the second wife did not want him to marry me but he resolved that he was going to marry me. I even got pregnant for him but he rejected the pregnancy at some point in time.
“I went to report him to a Muslim cleric but the cleric said there was nothing he could do to convince my lover to accept the pregnancy. For about two months, I did not call Sambo and because of the issue, I changed my telephone number.
“So, yesterday, Sambo and a man called Ifa were having a discussion in his house. Before I knew it, he started taking lots of alcohol; when I cautioned him, he refused to listen to me. He even offered me some but I rejected it.
“Later that night, he asked me to wrap myself in a white clothing of which I obliged. The man called Ifa wanted to use a cloth to cover my face and in the process, Sambo came in with an iron rod and hit me on the head. I shouted but nobody heard me because it was a bushy area.
“Ifa and Sambo attacked me with a knife but I managed to lock myself in a room. I now lied to them that I had called one of the neighbours, it was in that process that they left and I managed to escape from the house.”

How FG intends to fund N5,000 monthly stipend — Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Tuesday gave insight into how the Federal Government intends to fund the N5,000 monthly stipends to vulnerable Nigerians.
Speaking with Vanguard’s Editor-in-Chief, Gbenga Adefaye and Acting Editor, Eze Anaba, Mohammed revealed that the beneficiaries of the N5,000 monthly stipend would be required to meet conditions, among which is the enrolment into the country’s development agenda.
Mohammed while speaking on how the Federal Government intends to fund the N5,000 welfare scheme said, “What we want to achieve by our social intervention of which the conditional transfer is just one part, is to move out millions of Nigerians from poverty. That is why we have this half a trillion naira social intervention.
“Part of what we intend to do with the half a trillion naira is to train market women, artisans and unemployed graduates in the art of management and also give them loans to start their own businesses. Part of our social intervention also includes the transfer of N5,000 to the most vulnerable people.
“And we are being partnered in this by the World Bank and other multilateral organisations. It has been done in many countries before and we believe that it can be done here. Many people have written ridiculously about N5,000 and claimed that it is not up to what they spend on recharge cards. And we said yes, those who are writing such things are not the average Nigerians we are seeking to help.
“If you look at the lady who is selling water melon or pawpaw, she does not have up to N5,000 capital. People don’t know that N5,000 can be meaningful for many Nigerians because they are too comfortable in their corners. They do not know that N5,000 can make the difference between life and death for many Nigerians.”
Mohammed while stating that many people have died because they cannot afford transportation to the health centres, noted that “We are grappling with the reality on ground and we know that this conditional cash transfer is working in some states and it is being piloted by DIFID. In Jigawa, Yobe, and Kano, a British group is tying the conditional N5,000 transfer on a pilot scheme.
“When we say conditional transfer, it means that you must show evidence that you have enrolled your children in school and immunised them. It is not just that we are giving you money free, you must also show evidence that you have complied with some obligations. We know it works because it has increased school enrolment, led to a drop in mortality rate and decline in stunted growth.
“Apart from blockages and savings, there are many government institutions today, who ought to be returning money to the treasury but they are not doing so. We know that some organisations made over N20 billion last year but returned less than N100 million to the treasury.
“This is why the idea of the Treasury Single Account is so important to us. We are going back to the basics. We believe that the money for this project will come from savings, budget and prudent management. Also we are going to have support from multilateral organisations, especially in the area of cash transfer. Again some of these projects are not just recurrent, they are also capital in a way.”
 Source:dailypost.ng

Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu apologises to Buhari, Jonathan

Embattled Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has apologised to President Muhammadu Buhari for referring to him as “a terrorist, evil and a paedophile” in some of his radio messages.
The Federal Government had charged Kanu, alongside two others, before a Federal High Court in Abuja on six counts of treason and other ancillary offences.
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in a statement he made to the Department of State Service, DSS, on October 23 said he intended to write a private letter to Buhari to express his apology for his comments.
The 48-year-old pro-Biafran agitation leader in the statement also apologised to former President Goodluck Jonathan and Igbo elders for “some uncomplimentary things” he said about them in his broadcast messages.
Kanu who has been in custody of the DSS since his arrest in Lagos on October 14, 2015 was however unapologetic about his demand for a Republic of Biafra.
The prosecution, in its summary of the case, alleged that in one of the radio broadcasts by Kanu on August 1, 2015, he expressed his resolve to actualise the Republic of Biafra and “cast aspersions on the person and the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
The statement read, “Reference to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a terrorist, evil and a paedophile is regrettable and uncalled for and for that, I unreservedly apologise and will be doing so in a private letter to the President.
“Before PMB (President Muhammadu Buhari) there was the administration of Goodluck Jonathan. I also said uncomplimentary things about him and Igbo elders as well, which I now recognise should not have happened because it is un-African to be rude or insolent to elders.
“All I was trying to do is to draw attention to the problems afflicting society and something done about them.”
Kanu, a British-Nigerian citizen while justifying his agitation for a Biafra Republic said the secessionist agenda was informed by the “incessant hardship, lack of holistic development in the socio-economic landscape of Nigeria, lack of youth employment, corruption in high offices and economic regression.”
He revealed that the group’s agitation was founded in London in 2012 by a group of people from the South-South and South-East regions of the country, adding that it was in line with the United Nations Charter on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ratified by African countries, including Nigeria.
The embattled IPOB leader who is a son of a traditional ruler in Abia State, Sir I.O. Kanu, said contrary to the prosecution describing IPOB as unlawful, the group was registered with the UN to pursue the rights of the people of Biafra.
He stated, “I can confirm that I, Nnamdi Kanu, is the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra worldwide as a legitimately and duly registered body at the United Nations pursuing the rights of a specific indigenous people, in this case, Biafra, to seek self determination according to the said charter.
“The reason for the formation of the Indigenous People of Biafra is to avail those referring to themselves as Biafrans the opportunity made available as a result of the United Nations declaration to seek the peaceful rebirth of Biafra in line with international law.”
Kanu further stated that he operated Radio Biafra, whose programmes “are designed to wake up the public from its slumber and address the issues of the time” in line with his belief in free speech and freedom of expression.
He also alleged that Biafra Republic comprised of Enugu, Ebonyi, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states as well the Igbanke part of Edo State; Igala part of Kogi State and Idoma/Igede part of Edo State.

Nigeria orders MTN to pay US$3.9bil fine by Dec 31

ABUJA: South African mobile phone operator MTN will have to pay a US$3.9bil (RM16.8bil) fine imposed by Nigeria for failing to disconnect users with unregistered SIM cards by Dec 31, a source in the Nigerian telecommunications regulator said on Wednesday.

Nigeria’s telecoms regulator had cut the fine from an initial US$5.2bil (RM22.4bil) after weeks of lobbying by Africa’s biggest mobile phone company to get it reduced.

“Appropriate action will be taken,” should MTN fail to meet the deadline, the source said, asking not to be named and giving no further details.

MTN said this month it would challenge the decision in court.
Nigeria has been pushing telecoms firms to verify the identity of subscribers amid worries unregistered SIM cards were being used for criminal activity in a country facing the insurgency of militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

The fine came months after Muhammadu Buhari swept to power in Africa’s biggest economy following a campaign in which he promised tougher regulation and a fight against corruption.

Shiites, Army Clash: We Must Avoid the Mistake of 2009

Soldiers appealing to the members of Shiite Sect

Kashim Shettima

Let me start by making one thing very clear; the Northern Governors’ Forum is not here to do the job of the Kaduna State Government or because there is anything missing in the measures taken by the Kaduna State Government. We have confidence in the Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasiru El-Rufai, his competence and character have never come under any doubt. Soon after the Zaria crisis, the Governor was at the scene and he spoke with leader of the Islamic Movement and met the Chief of Army Staff. He addressed the people of Kaduna State on Thursday, December 17, 2015 and the Government took some far reaching measures it considers necessary. Malam El-Rufai is the man on ground, he knows the subject matter more than us and he knows the steps he deems most suitable after his extensive consultations. So, we are not here to do his job.

However, we are here in connection with what happened in Zaria, first because the issue has to do with an Islamic group that has membership across the nineteen States in the north and beyond. We want to look at how to ensure that the incident does not provide room for anyone or group to perpetuate violence in any of the 19 northern States. We already have the serious problems of Boko Haram to contend with. We are not in any way comparing the Islamic Movement with Boko Haram, no! But we don't want the same mistake that happened over the Boko Haram crisis to repeat itself. When Boko Haram went wild in July, 2009 with clashes between them and the police in Bauchi on 25th and 26th in Maiduguri, most Nigerians saw the issues as the problems of Bauchi and Borno. When they continued to attack Borno and Yobe, it became the affairs of Borno and Yobe States. All of a sudden, there was suicide attack in Abuja in 2012 and then everything went out of control and we are where we are today.

So, like I said, we do not make any comparison between the murderously violent Boko Haram insurgents and the Islamic Movement but we are here to analyze and ensure that we take measures that will close any avenue which some people may want to seize to create violence in the immediate or long run. Moreover,  Kaduna is the socio-political heart of the northern Nigeria. Kaduna is to us, what Lagos is to the South West. What affects Kaduna State invariably affects the whole north. If you notice, we make it a duty to travel to Kaduna to hold our meetings instead of holding them in Abuja. Kaduna is the headquarters of the northern Nigeria but it will have that significance only if we accord it the relevance it deserves. We have a duty to preserve history and our values by coming here.
While here, we will be briefed on the Zaria incidence and we will compare thoughts analytically and extensively. We will also be looking at any other matter that affects the well being of the north and we shall brief the media on issues that we don't consider too security sensitive to make public.
We thank you in the media very much for being our partners in progress and we look forward to meeting you again when there is need to do so.
Thank you so much".

Shettima, Governor of Borno State and Chairman of the Northern States Governors ' Forum made these remarks on Saturday in Kaduna, at the opening of an emergency meeting of Northern Governors to discuss last week's clash between members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria popularly known as Shiites followers and the Nigerian Army which led to deaths and destructions of property in Zaria, Kaduna State.

SOURCE: thisdaylive.com

President Muhammadu Buhari presents budget promising he will rebuild the country

Muhammadu Buhari has presented the 2016 Appropriation Bill announcing a rise in borrowing to restore the country's crippled economy. In the first budget presented since he took office in May, the Nigerian president said the country will increase domestic borrowing to N984bn (£3.3bn, $4.9bn) and foreign borrowing to N900bn totalling N1.84tn.
Nigeria is expected to face a N2.22tn deficit in 2016, according to the budget. The country is Africa's biggest oil producer and petroleum exports make up 90% of the country's total revenue.
However, the nation's lack of refineries – at present there are four and of these, only three resumed production in July after months of inactivity – mean the country has to export about 90% of its crude oil and import petroleum products, including fuel.
The government then sells fuel to Nigerians at subsidised prices and reimburses the difference to importers. The country is currently facing a fuel crisis, for which the previous administration led by Goodluck Jonathan has been blamed, amid the outrage of many.
Nigeria has been experiencing a fall in oil prices. A price per barrel is now around $36 to $38 compared to $50 at the beginning of 2015.
 The country is expected to earn N820bn in oil-related revenue in 2016 and the economy is expected to grow by 4.4%, while Nigeria will produce 2.2 million barrels per day, according to forecasts.
Buhari said in a statement during the presentation of the bill at a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives: "I know the state of our economy is a source of concern for many. This has been further worsened by the unbridled corruption and security challenges we have faced in the last few years.
"By June 2014, oil prices averaged $112 per barrel. But as at today, the price is under $39 per barrel. This huge decline is having a painful effect on our economy. I stand before you today promising that we will secure our country, rebuild our economy, and make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger than it has ever been."
The president also said the government is committed to diversifying the economy, tackling youth unemployment and lifting millions of people out of poverty.
Among other things, Buhari explained the country will invest N202bn in transport, N369bn in education, N134.6bn in defence and N221bn in health.
"This budget represents a major step in delivering a new opportunity for Nigeria," the president added. "It demonstrates our confident optimism that despite the challenging times, we have the will, resourcefulness and commitment to deliver prosperity to our people."

Source: ibtimes.co.uk

FG, States Share N369.9 Billion For November

The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, on Tuesday said N369.9 billion was shared among the Federal, States and Local Governments for Nov. 2015.
Adeosun announced this when she addressed newsmen on the outcome of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting in Abuja.
She said the amount comprised the month’s statutory revenue of N297.4 billion.
“Also, there is the exchange gain of N4.9 billion which is proposed for distribution.
“Therefore, the total revenue distributable for November, including VAT of N61.1 billion, is N389.8 billion”, she said.
Adeosun added N6.3 billion was refunded to the federation by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and was also proposed for sharing.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), recalls that N473.8 billion was shared among the three tiers of government for the preceding month. This showed a decrease of N83.9 billion.
Giving the breakdown, Adeosun said the Federal Government received N139.5 billion, representing 52.68 per cent; states, N70.7 billion, representing 26.72 per cent.
The local governments, she said, received N54.5 billion, amounting to 20.60 per cent of the amount distributed.
She said that N25.6 billion representing 13 per cent derivation revenue was shared among the oil producing states.
Adeosun said the country generated N198.5 billion as mineral revenue and N98.8 billion as non-mineral revenue.
According to her, this showed a decrease of N11.3 billion and N114.2 billion from what the country generated as mineral and non-mineral revenue in the preceding month.
She stated that the balance in the Excess Crude Account at stood at 2.25 billion dollars, which showed that nothing had been removed or added to it since July.
Adeosun decried the low revenue generation for the month. She explained:
“Ongoing maintenance and the shut-down and shut-in of production for repairs and maintenance at different terminals during the month continued to impact crude oil and gas revenue negatively.
“Also, there was revenue loss of 19.4 million dollars as a result of drop in federation export, even though the average price of crude oil increased from 46.9 dollars per barrel in September to 49.5 dollars per barrel in October’’, she said.
Adeosun, however, stated that there was distribution of 150 million dollars being Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) dividends, adding that it had previously been approved by the National Economic Council (NEC).
She said that the increase in non-oil revenue was a sign that the economy was already showing non-dependence on crude oil alone.
Adeosun said the administration had continuously emphasised diversification of the economy and that it was on track to ensure that.
“Even though the revenues for the month are actually down, if you analyse it, non-oil revenue is now really making a difference compared to oil.
“Non oil is beginning to pick up and play its part and I think that for our economy, that is a very positive sign and I think that it is something we should work together with, to ensure that people are paying and remitting tax when due.
“We should improve collections in those non-oil revenue generating agencies, because those revenues are not as volatile or subject to oil price.
“They are most sustainable and those are the signs that we are looking for, that those non-oil revenues should be more stable and significant and to keep growing. So, that is our policy direction’’, she said.
On salaries before the yuletide as promised by the Federal Government, she said that salaries were already being paid.
“The issue that is very important is that of salaries and people are being paid now as we speak and are already beginning to get alerts.
“We are conscious enough to ensure that people are paid in time for the festive season and I know that the Director of Funds is nodding emphatically that alerts are already going out’’, she said.

SOURCE: thebreakingtimes.com

Fayose: 20 Things Nigerians Should Expect under Buhari’s Govt in 2016

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, yesterday led a prayer with other men of God in the State to pray against calamity from befalling the country in 2016.
The governor, in conjunction with the men of God from various denominations, prayed against those plotting his impeachment in 2016, saying they shall be put to disgrace if they refuse to back down on their evil plot.

Leading a prayer session at the congregation of the clerics and leaders of churches at the government office in Ado Ekiti,
convened  in collaboration with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Fayose prophesied that there would be 20 events in the country in 2016 that would shake the country to its foundation.
Fayose warned those planning his impeachment to desist or shall be visited by the wrath of God, describing himself as an anointed leader, who cannot be brought down by any evil machination.
The governor, who begged the religious leaders to continue to preach to their congregation to pay their taxes,  denied the widespread insinuation that he was planning to impose taxes on churches, adding that  the new taxes he introduced were to shore up the revenue of the state.

His predictions, which he termed unavoidable under the Buhari administration, were as follows:
•Workers strike: There will be so much industrial unrest, especially in the first quarter of the year.
•Subsidy: There will be removal of fuel subsidy and petrol will sell over and above N100/litre, leaving the masses in more serious hardship. Product will not be available and long queue in petrol stations will persist throughout the first quarter of 2016 and beyond.
•Electricity: Power generation will drop to the lowest ebb. Still, federal government will increase tariff in 2016.
•Unemployment: Millions of jobs will be lost in 2016 as against the three million jobs promised by the APC yearly. Most states and federal government will retrench workers as evident in the over 2,000 federal university workers already sacked.
•Economic policy: Most private owned middle-class businesses will fold up because of bad economic policies of the Buhari-led government.
•Devaluation: The naira will continue to have a free fall which will take it to as low as N320 to one dollar.
•Economy: The Buhari-led federal government will have no solution to country’s economic problems.
• Security: Boko Haram will keep spreading and the Shiite Muslims will get more emboldened.
•Human rights: Penchant for dictatorship will rise with rampant human rights abuses and disobedience to court orders.
•Anti-corruption: Insincerity in the fight against corruption will continue and the fight will not only be selective and political, but targeted more at southerners.
• Elections: Attempt to forcefully control any of the South-south states of Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa by the APC will lead to unprecedented deaths.
•Economy: Crude oil price will fall to below and about $30 per barrel.
• Anti-press laws: The masses, especially men of the media profession will rise against the federal government’s plot to deny Nigerians of their rights to freedom of expression. There will wide, condemnations by Nigerians and the International community against President Buhari’s human rights abuses and disobedience to court orders.
• Polity: Renewed efforts will be made to remove Senator Bukola Saraki as the Senate President; this will not only fail, but will heat the polity.
•Hardships: Nigerians will experience more hardships. The president himself attested to this (The SUN Newspaper Tuesday, December 15, 2015). This obviously negates the change Nigerians voted for.
• Elections: Plot by the APC to take control of at least one South-south state will lead to death of many people. Particularly, rerun elections in Rivers and Akwa-Ibom States will cause many deaths.
•Corruption: Halliburton scam may be revisited in 2016.
•Kogi State: Court will sack governor-elect, Yahaya Bello. Bayelsa State: Governor Seriake Dickson will win the supplementary election.Taraba State: Governor Darius Ishaku will be victorious at the court.

•Politics: There will be subtle political alignment and realignment before the end of the year ahead of 2019 elections.
Urging the men of God to pray fervently for the state and country to recover from the present economic doldrums, Fayose said:  “You know when the economy is sick, the church is sick as well.
“I received the worst allocation this  December. The state got N1.3 billion, while we need N2.6billion to pay salaries. So,  I urge you to continue to pray for the country’s quick economic revival.
“Though, not that I have not noticed some financial recklessness perpetrated in the past, but I promised not to probe because it constitutes a distraction.

Meanwhile, the state chapter of the APC has accused the governor of deceiving the state workforce by his claim that he received a sum of N1.3 billion as October  allocation, even when he collected a sum of N3.635 billion.
 

 

The party said the governor’s message to the civil servants that they should not expect salary in January was a mark of his uncaring attitude to workers, stressing that the current allocation to the state is enough to pay workers’ salary since the governor had refused to embark on any infrastructure development programme.

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the party said October statutory federal allocation to the state and local governments totaling N3.635,936,192 was more than enough to address workers’ pay, which stands at N2.6 billion.                      
Dispelling the allegations, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Lanre Ogunsuyi, said no circular was issued by the state government telling the civil servants that no salary will be paid in January.
Ogunsuyi added that the last time the state paid for UBEC counterpart funding was in 2012, which he said was also withdrawn by the immediate past administration, adding that Fayose should not be blamed for  the ban placed on Ekiti from accessing intervention fund.
Olatunbosun said: “October allocation to the state government is N1,967,380,219.98 while allocation to the 16 local governments is N1,668,555,972.02 totaling N3,635,936,192.00. This is aside from the N9billion bailout which is meant to clear arrears of salaries but which he has diverted and yet to account for.

The APC spokesman also wondered how a governor that sacked thousands of workers, cut running grants to civil servants, refused to fund security agencies despite collecting monthly personal security vote of N250 million, refused to pay pensioners and stop monthly social security stipends to the elderly would still come before the workers that he did not have money to pay salary.
It alleged that Fayose’s failure to comply with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) guidelines, including paying counterpart fund, was responsible for banning the state from accessing Federal intervention fund to run primary schools while he has also refused to pay counterpart fund in the running of the Universal Basic Education Board.

“For instance, Fayose’s absence at a recent function by the United Nations Secretary General, Bank Ki Moon, in Abuja denied the share of the state in the $500m the world body gave to assist states in Nigeria.”
On the allegation that international organisation are moving away from Ekiti, the Commissioner  said the development was not only limited to Ekiti, saying the situation was caused  by the ‘economic scare mongering  in Abuja and insurgency pummeling the natio.’

FG to borrow N1.84trn to finance 2016 deficit 1

FROM its budget proposal of N6.08 trillion, Nigeria is to borrow about N1.84 trillion to augment its dwindling revenue, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.
The President disclosed this in his 2016 Budget address delivered to the joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja yesterday.
Giving the break down of the N1.84 trillion borrowing, Buhari said domestic borrowing would amount to about N984 billion while foreign borrowing would be N900 billion.
The President noted that the country is targeting a revenue projection of N3.86 trillion from the N6.08 trillion budget proposals, resulting in a deficit of N2.22 trillion, adding that the deficit, which is equiva- lent to 2.16 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), will take the country’s overall debt profile to 14 per cent of its GDP.
‘‘This remains well within acceptable fiscal limits. Our deficit will be financed by a combination of domestic and foreign borrowing and over the medium term, we expect to increase revenues and reduce overheads, to bring the fiscal deficit down to 1.3 per cent of GDP by 2018,’’ he said.
In 2016, he said oil related revenues are expected to contribute N820 billion. Non-oil revenues, comprising Company Income Tax (CIT), Value Added Tax (VAT), Customs and Excise duties and Federation Account levies, will contribute N1.45 trillion.
‘‘Finally, by enforcing strict compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 and public expenditure reforms in all MDAs, we have projected up to N1.51 trillion from independent revenues,’’ he said.
And to deliver on development objectives, he said the Federal Government has increased the capital expenditure portion of the budget from N557 billion in the 2015 budget to N1.8 trillion.
In the 2016 budget and for the first time in many years, capital expenditure will represent 30 per cent of our total budget. In future years, we intend to raise the percentage allocation for capital expenditure,’’ he assured.
The increase in capital expenditure to 30 per cent of the total budget is in fulfilment of its promise to align expenditure to long-term objectives, and a sign of government’s commitment to sustainable development.
He gave a breakdown of the capital expenditure component to include critical sectors such as Works, Power and Housing – N433.4 billion; Transport – N202.0 billion; Special Intervention Programmes – N200.0 billion; Defence – N134.6 billion and Interior – N53.1 billion.
On fuel scarcity, he said the supply shortages were as a result of market speculators and resistance to change by some stakeholders, assuring that government was working hard to end the shortages and bring fuel to the pumps all over the country.
 Source: http://sunnewsonline.com

Buhari orders payment of December salaries

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the immediate payment of December salaries to Federal Government workers.
Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja at the end of the monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee, FAAC, meeting, the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun said salaries were already being paid in response to the Presidential directive.
The Minister said the relevant authorities had commenced the payment of December salaries, adding that people had already started getting alerts.
“We are very conscious of the need that people are paid in time for the festive season,” Adeoshun said.
Source: dailypost.ng

Buhari Slights Senate President Saraki, Speaker Dogara In Protocol Gaffe At Budget Presentation

by SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK Dec 23, 2015


 
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday committed a gaffe in protocol during his presentation of the 2016 proposed budget to a joint session of the National Assembly. Immediately after acknowledging Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Mr. Buhari bypassed both Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara to mention Governor Umar Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State. 
SaharaReporters learned that the gaffe has led to recriminations at the Presidency, with some of Mr. Buhari’s staffers blaming the blunder on Lawal Kazaure, a diplomat recently appointed as the president’s chief protocol officer.

A director at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mr. Kazaure was appointed as the president’s chief of protocol based on what one Presidency source described as Mr. Buhari’s habit of trusting only people with whom he has one form of relationship or another.
“Ambassador Kazaure’s only qualification is that he is married to Mr. President’s niece. He is married to the daughter of Lawan Daura,” said the source. Mr. Daura has emerged as one of the most powerful figures around President Buhari.
Mr. Kazaure was a deputy director at the NIA before he was redeployed to the Presidential Villa. Two officials at the Presidency accused the new chief of protocol of having little or no knowledge of how protocols work, adding that he had to be first named “Ambassador” on the recommendation of the Director General of the NIA before he could validly be appointed State House Chief Protocol. Typically, protocol heads are appointed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with appointees drawn from among the ranks of senior ambassadors seasoned in protocol matters.
 
One source at the Presidency said Mr. Kazaure had in the last two weeks transferred numerous competent officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs out of the Villa and replaced them with NIA officials he “trusts to do his bidding.”
The source added that the newly recruited officials’ lack of experience had contributed to the president’s gaffe during his budget presentation. “They [the newly recruited officials] did not know that, in the order of protocol, the Senate President comes after the VP, followed by the Speaker and the Chief Justice of the Federation.”
A state governor occupies the 10th spot on the protocol list at official state functions, one of the irate Presidency officials told our correspondent.

Bayelsa Government declares N1.27billion deficit for October

The Bayelsa State Government has declared a deficit balance of N1.27bn as funds available, after meeting its financial obligations amounting to N6.9 billion for the month of October, 2015.
The State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (Rtd), made the disclosure during the monthly transparency briefing held on Tuesday in Yenagoa.
He said the state government received a gross inflow of N6.5bn, out of which a total of N2.2bn was deducted as Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) deductions.
He said that statutory allocation from Federal Accounts Allocation Committee amounted to N1.8 billion, while derivation was put at N4 billion and value added tax (VAT) amounting to N512 million.
According to the Deputy Governor, the sum exchange differentials accounted for N115 million, while internally generated revenue (IGR) for the month of September stood at N522 million.
Jonah said that a breakdown of the FAAC deduction revealed that the state spent N1.2 billion for bond repayment, while foreign loans inherited from the previous administration gulped N18 million.
He also stated that commercial agricultural loan scheme amounted to N66.7 million.
The Deputy Governor explained that the re-structured commercial bank loan was allotted N741 million, as first installment out of 120, while refund of arrears of derivation revenue to Akwa Ibom’s Ekanga oil field was put at N131 million.
On expenditure, Jonah disclosed that a total of N6.09 billion was spent in the month of October, with bank loan repayments of N1 billion, while salaries of civil servants and political appointees were put at N3.6 billion and N515 million respectively.
He also stated that pension arrears for the month of August gulped a whooping sum of N459 million.
In his contribution, the State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Duate Iyabi explained that the deficit was sourced from the financial sector to enable the state government meet its salary and other obligations.
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Source: dailypost.ng

Nigeria: Buhari's 2016 Budget for Nigeria Released

By Mark Caldwel (dpa, Ap, Afp)

President Muhammadu Buhari has been unveiling Nigeria's budget for 2016 as it grapples with falling oil revenue and a chronic Islamist insurgency. Buhari is aiming for growth of just above four percent.

President Muhammadu Buhari has presented Nigeria's 2016 budget which triples investment spending in a bid to stimulate growth while seeking to lower the country's dependence on oil.

The budget totals 6.08 trillion naira ($30.8 billion, 28 billion euros).

The economy was in pain from the fall in oil prices, which averaged $122 a barrel in June 2014 but was now trading at around $39, Buhari told the National Assembly.

Nigeria relies on oil for about 90 percent of its foreign earnings and 75 percent of its budget.

"Consumption has declined at all levels," Buhari said.

He said employers have struggled to pay salaries and meet other employee-related obligations, both in the public and private sector. "Small business owners and traders have been particularly hard hit by this state of affairs," he said.

"From those who have lost their jobs, to those young people who have never had a job, to the people in the north-east whose families and businesses were destroyed by insurgents, this has been a difficult time in our nation's history," the Nigerian president said.

Spending on infrastructure

The biggest share of the budget would be invested in critical sectors such as power, housing, transport and defense.

Nigerians DW spoke to were cautiously optimistic. "Well, it's an achievement that the country is at least presenting a budget which will give us a picture of what will happen next year," one man said.

"What I really look forward to is security, real security, not temporary security," said one woman from northeastern Nigeria, which has borne the brunt of the Boko Haram insurgency. "I am also looking forward to seeing the end of fluctuating electricity," she added, referring to power outages.

Previous Nigerian budgets have tended to allocated more funds for recurrent expenditure, such as workers and officials salaries, rather than for capital outlay. In the 2016 budget, capital expenditure exceeds recurrent expenditure in a bid to press ahead with urgently needed improvements to infrastructure.

The budget foresees a deficit of 2.16 percent of GDP which would be financed by a combination of domestic and foreign borrowing.

"They are borrowing much more than in the past and are going to carry a bigger debt burden," Ayo Teriba, chief executive officer of Economic Associates, an advisors firm based in Lagos, told AFP.

The budget aims for a growth rate of 4.37 percent in 2016.

The International Monetary Fund has said that Nigeria's growth would slow to 4 percent this year, down from 6.3 percent last year.

Buhari also renewed his anti-corruption pledge to recover stolen funds no matter how long it took, or where they were hidden.

Ben Shemang contributed to this report from Abuja.

Source: allafrica.com

2016 Will Be A Tough One - Oshiomhole Predicts

Speaking yesterday, December 22, at a meeting with traditional rulers from Edo central senatorial district, the governor said the continued decline in national revenue was an indication that the people would be facing difficult times in the coming year, Vanguard reports.
He said: “It is clear from all indicators that the coming year is likely to be very tough with the continued decline in revenue and rising expectation on the part of our people and with many state governments, local governments, and perhaps, even some federal agencies defaulting in the payment of salaries and allowances to workers.
“The level of strike activities in the economy is going to be very high and of course, the level of unemployment is already unacceptably high and it could get even higher if we are not careful. So, we have a lot of challenges ahead.”
Oshiomhole however, expressed optimism that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government would do what needs to be done to ensure that the country stays stable and safe.
“The rest of us as state governments have responsibilities, working with the local governments and your good selves, the traditional rulers, to ensure that there is peace,” he added.
2015 is coming to an end and predictions for 2016 have started rolling in. Five days ago, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state gave his own predictions of what will be in the coming year. According to him, corruption under Buhari will be on the increase and poverty in the nation will be at its highest in history.
SOURCE: naij.com

Buhari tells senate: I won’t assent Social Media Bill

 

President Mohammadu Buhari Monday distanced himself from the proposed Social Media Bill currently being debated in the senate seeking to restrict Nigerians from “criticizing”, political and public office holders.
The president stated that the principle of the bill was inconsistent with democratic ideals free speech enshrined in the constitution of the land.
He added that he had sworn to protect and uphold the dictates of the constitution and would not in anyway go against it.
Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, president Buhari however stated that “he is not averse to lawful regulation, so long as that is done within the ambit of the constitution which he swore to uphold.
According him, free speech was central to democratic societies anywhere in the world.
“The President won’t assent to any legislation that may be inconsistent with the constitution of Nigeria”, he said.
He further explained that without free speech, elected representatives won’t be able to gauge public feelings and moods about governance issues.
“As a key component of democratic principles are so emotionally attached to free speech that they would defend it with all their might”, he said.
Malam Garba Shehu explained that President Buhari was fully aware of the public reservations about the proposed legislation but assured that there was no cause for alarm “because the Senate is a democratic senate.
The bill however has passed second reading in the senate.

Buhari disowns Senate on social media bill

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday assured Nigerians that he would not assent to any legislation that is inconsistent with the nation’s constitution.

According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the President said this in his reaction to the public outcry that is currently trailing the Social Media Bill currently being debated in the Senate.

Shehu quoted the President as reiterating his administration’s commitment to the protection of free speech in keeping with democratic tradition.

He said since Buhari has sworn to defend the constitution of Nigeria, he would not lend his hand to anything that is inconsistent with the constitution.

He said the President was fully aware of the public reservations about the proposed legislation but assured that there is no cause for alarm “because the Senate is a democratic Senate. The President won’t assent to any legislation that may be inconsistent with the constitution of Nigeria.”

The presidential spokesman however added that Buhari is not against lawful regulation that is done in consonance with the law.

“But he (the President) is not averse to lawful regulation, so long as that is done within the ambit of the constitution which he swore to uphold,” he added.

Shehu further quoted Buhari as saying that free speech is central to democratic societies anywhere in the world and that without free speech, elected representatives won’t be able to gauge public feelings and moods about governance issues.

“As a key component of democratic principles, the President acknowledged that people in democratic societies are so emotionally attached to free speech that they would defend it with all their might,” he added.

Buhari: We Will Defeat Terrorism

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday in Malta said that violent extremism and terrorism could only thrive and endure if good people remained idle and complacent.

A statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, said Buhari spoke on behalf of other participating African Heads of State and Government at the closing Executive Session of the 2015 Commonwealth Summit.

Buhari said that he was confident that terrorism would be ultimately defeated with greater international cooperation and collaboration.
"We have had the opportunity to discuss, in a serene atmosphere, wide ranging issues that are of great significance, not only to the members of the Commonwealth, but to the entire global community.

"Of particular note is the Action Statement on Climate Change, which is expected to herald our commitment to saving the planet for present and future generations.

"Of equal significance are our deliberations on Radicalisation and Violent Extremism. We are witnesses to the growing phenomenon of terrorism that is affecting us all, whether big or small.

"The reign of terror will only succeed if peace-loving people choose to remain idle. But I am confident that through our collective efforts, we will defeat this scourge and restore peace,"  Buhari said.

Boko Haram Takes Credit For Bombing Shiite Muslim Procession

Boko Haram claims responsibility for a suicide bombing on a Shiite Muslim procession in the city of Kano that killed 22 people.
The hardline Islamist group said in a statement in Arabic on social media its bomber “detonated his explosives which led to the death” of the victims on Friday.
At least 21 people were initially reported killed, but the toll rose after one more person was confirmed dead. “For now, we have 22 deaths following the death of one more person yesterday. 38 people have also been injured, two of whom have been discharged from the hospital,” one of the organizers of the march Ali Kakaki said.
Shiite Muslims march in northern Nigeria, following a suicide bombing attack. (Credit: AFP)
He said, despite the attack on Friday, the Islamic Movement of Nigeria members continued their march from Kano to Zaria in neighbouring Kaduna state, where their leader Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky is based.
The march is to mark Ashura, which commemorates the death of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.
“Following the attack, many more of our members have joined the procession,” Kakaki said, adding that they aimed to arrive at their destination next week.
Friday’s attack took place in the village of Dakasoye, some 20 kilometres south of the city of Kano.
One of the procession’s organisers said a bomber clad in black ran into the crowd and detonated his explosives.
Boko Haram, the radical Sunni jihadists who want to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria, has previously been blamed for attacks on Shia Muslims in the region.
The militant group has waged a six-year insurgency which has left at least 17,000 people dead and made more than 2.6 million homeless.
Boko Harm condemns Shias as heretics who should be killed.
The group has increasingly used suicide bombers against “soft” civilian targets since the start of a military offensive earlier this year that pushed them out of territory they controlled.
Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari gave his military commanders until next month to end the conflict, but there are fears that suicide and bomb attacks may persist.